The Ultimate Big Brother
by Goku D. Uzumaki
Summary: The second son of the Charlotte Family, Katakuri mysteriously appears in the world of Danganronpa. After his fierce battle with Luffy, will he be able to take what he learned from their duel to the world of Hope's Peak Academy? Will he save every single young life? Or will he fall into despair? Can the students handle Katakuri and his ways? Find out on The Ultimate Big Brother.
1. Prologue: Who are You?

**The Ultimate Big Brother  
Prologue: Where am I?**

 ** _A/N: Hey guys, Goku D. Uzumaki here with a brand new One Piece/Danganronpa crossover! Like the good The Dark Hood said, "I find the lack of Danganronpa crossovers to be…disturbing. So, I decided to brainstorm an idea: What if the greatest One Piece antagonist EVER, with King of Lightning once said, Charlotte 'Charles Barkley' Katakuri is in the world of Danganronpa and helps the classes of 77, 78, and 79 and helps the cast overcome their own differences and they can help Katakuri? This is post Katakuri, after his fierce battle against Luffy. He will be covering his mouth the same reason he did back in the One Piece world. He will reveal his face and intentions around some students he and they trust and grow a relationship. PLEASE REVIEW THIS STORY! THIS IS MY VERY FIRST UNFAMILIAR CROSSOVER, NO FLAMES PLEASE._**

 ** _P.S. Also, I need people to tell me yes or no, will Katakuri retain his Devil Fruit abilities. He will retain his Observation Haki for funny moments and serious moments. I can't wait to type this bad boy. I know I will make mistakes down the line but hopefully you guys and gals can help me proofread and I also need some beta readers and editors for my story._**

 ** _But enough of me rambling on…LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!_**

 **Prologue: Where am I?**

 **7:33 a.m. Day One**

 **First Floor**

 **Hallway**

The person laying down in the deserted hallway opened his eyes. He blinked his eyes a few times to get a bearing to his new surroundings. His eyes widen when he realized something is wrong: where is he?

The person sits up from his laid position and notice something falling from his face. He looked down at the object and picked it up. He looked at the object in question and with a little thinking, his eyes widen in realization. The object was a black fedora hat, still in pristine condition. He ponders a bit of who was the owner of this hat. His cloudy memory conjures up a young man with the fedora hat on top of a straw hat, but he couldn't remember anything else. All attempts of remembering what happened has the same result: nothing. He looks at his body and notices something off: his wounds are gone.

He looked at his arms, legs, and at his left side where he can feel that his left side is where his pain was the most staggering. Then, something hit him! He remembered briefly he and the young man were having a bloody battle in a world filled with mirrors. He couldn't remember anything else besides that. All he knows is that they were in a duel, a fierce battle. He closes his eyes tight and tries to remember the bloody duel between him and a young man and starts to remembers it clearly.

* * *

 **Elsewhere**

 _The world inside is full of mirrors of various sizes and shapes. The entire world is warped in some kind of surreal state, in fact, the world does look like it's surreal. With twisted stairways, massive and hourglass shaped columns, purple checkered patterns, this massive world is the definition of confusion and surreal. It is strangely beautiful when the mirrors sparkle and twinkle in the world...well, former will be the appropriate word, since the entire mirror world is now a war zone. The world is decorated with battle scars, cracks, crevices, holes, crumbled columns, broken mirrors. If one can take a look at the battle scarred world, one can assume a war between two armies or more broke the world. That person will be mistaken because this world isn't destroyed by two armies, no. This world is torn apart between...two men._

 _One of the fighters is a young man appearing to be very young, almost to his 20's. This man has natural skin, black eyes, and black spiky hair. He wears a ripped up and torn black dress shirt with red shorts with sandals. Around his neck is a straw hat with a black fedora on top. His face and body is marred with bruises, cuts, blood, and scars. The most intricate scars are these two: an 'X' shaped scar on his chest, with a slightly lighter skin color from his skin and one fresh one from a very fatal impalement wound on the left side of his stomach. Globs of blood dripped from the wound onto the battle-torn ground. Along with his wounds are a swollen left eye, cut lip, bloody and broken nose, bloodied knuckles, purple bruises, and cuts on his body; yet still, his black eyes burned with determination, willpower, and intensity as he puts up a boxing stance against his opponent facing him._

 _Like the young man, the giant is out of breath. His face is bleeding, carries some battle wounds and just like the young man, he has the same impale wound on his left stomach. Yet, neither of them care of their wounds bleeding out in giant drops and globs. This fueled their desire to best each other in mortal combat, to prove to each other which one will leave the world standing. Katakuri smirks at the young man wheezing while putting up a boxing stance with an aura around his fists._

 _"I got to say *wheeze* you are truly a man. Never in my life I have been this wounded against a single opponent in combat. I've been in battle twice as long than you and felt bored whenever I fight my enemies. I'll be honest, I was the same way when we first fought. Nothing more than a stepping stone in my way, yet your will and strive intrigues me more and more. And when my...bratty sister and her cronies interfered, I have to do it, it wouldn't be fair. With them out of the way, I can fight you as freely as I want with all my might. You are truly worthy in my eyes. I don't see you as an eyesore...I can see you at my level."_

 _The blacked hair man huffs and puffs loudly to regain his breath and spoke. "Even though this is a pirate fight, even though there's no such thing as fair play, even though that was unnecessary...I still thank you for that. You are definitely my strongest foe, in my short time of pirating, after facing many enemies, you are by far the strongest in the New World so far since that pigeon guy back from Enies Lobby." The man straightens his posture. "So, thank you Katakuri, for giving me the honor to fight you at your fullest. But even still...I'm still going to win!" The giant named Katakuri smirks at the proclamation._

 _"Well then...only one way to find out," Katakuri replied. They charged at each other and exchange powerful and quick blow after blow after blow. The world shook as the two kings collide each other's fists against their face, stomach, cheek, head, temple. Each time they clash, their willpower to defeat each other increased, the intensity of the battle intensifies, and the world cracks more from the power of these two mighty pirates._

 _The man rapidly punched Katakuri in the face with his body steaming with a reddish tint on his skin color. Katakuri reeled back from the hit and in response, turned his right arm into a block of some sort and slammed the block-like fist into the small man's body, causing the man to cough up spit and blood, sending him flying through columns of the world. But it doesn't stop there; as the man continues to fly back, Katakuri ran towards him in ginormous strides thanks to his height. The man finally snapped out of the stunning blow and skidded back and sees the giant racing towards him. The man stretches his arm at great lengths to try to hit Katakuri but the giant sees that and dodges it. Using the tiny time from the attack, Katakuri stomped on the man's face with his boot and punted him across the ground like a kickball._

 _Another column exploded in shards and debris from the impact of the man's body from the kick. Katakuri stands still and pants heavily from the bruises and the tension of the battle. Never in his life he had to fight against a pirate twenty-nine years younger than him and a rookie, of all things, cause him to fight with his all. For the first time, Katakuri is having fun against the pirate, seeing him as a respectable warrior, not a pest._

 _The man appears to be unconscious from the blow, some of his teeth are missing and chipped, eyes rolled in the back of his head. He looked to be motionless from the kick his opponent gave it to him. Ever since another fearsome fight against the pigeon guy in Enies Lobby, been in so much mind-numbing pain from his enemies. The world stopped for a moment and stayed still as the two warriors paused their battle as Katakuri looked down at the man. Normally any other pirate or enemy will mock or scorn their fallen enemies, taunt and tease them and threatening harm to his fellow crew, but not Katakuri. Instead of taunting, Katakuri's face scowled. No, this can't be it! We just getting started! I'm finally showing my full power and you just wanna lie there?! Taking a deep breath, Katakuri opened his razor teeth filled mouth and shouted at the fallen man._

 _"STRRRRAAAAAWWWWWW HHHHAAAAAAAAAATTTTTT! YOU CAN'T JUST LIE THERE AND WE'RE JUST GETTING STARTED! YOU TOOK SEVERAL OF MY ATTACKS AND CONTINUE TO STAND UP. I INFLICTED YOU A MORTAL STAB WOUND AND YOU STILL GOT UP! ONE KICK AND YOU JUST WANNA LIE THERE AND BREATHE LIKE A DYING, STUCK-UP PIG?! GET THE HELL UP! YOU'RE NOT FINISHED!" The giant roared to the man, hoping that will make the man rise and continue to fight. Deep down, he realized why he wanted him to get up now._

 _Beforehand, he was mocking the young pirate of their gaps of rank, a rookie and a first commander of an Emperor's pirate crew. Blow after blow, the young pirate continued to fight and managed to land a few good blows on him. In the second round, it was a complete curb stomp. He ran circles around the pirate who was frustrated of his attacks being read like a book. Even though he received a lot of heavy hits, the pirate continued to stand and started to get the hang of Katakuri's advanced precognition._ _That is...his little sister and her cronies who idolized him as the 'perfect being' instead of a brother. She used a blow-dart in a cowardly way to help her brother, tranquilizing the young pirate. Katakuri was ready to impale the man with his trident and expected the pirate to dodge but never saw the dart until...he impaled the young pirate on his left side._

 _The blow devastated the stomach's left side, sending the young pirate in an entire world of pain he'd never felt before in his life. Katakuri was shocked when the trident took a chunk of flesh from the screaming pirate who was trying to keep his side from spilling his guts out. He was furious at the pirate who failed to dodge and was scolding him attack by attack of flying punches at the downed pirate. After the storm of punches, the pirate STILL got up, yet sluggishly. Katakuri stops and questions on how did the pirate failed to dodge the attack and was suspicious of how did he became sluggish in like a drugged state. Their fight is strictly one-on-one, no interference whatsoever. That question was answered by mocked laughter and taunting words. He turned and looked at his little sister and her gang of how the pirate is stumbling like a newborn fawn. What truly infuriates him more is how his sister think she's helping her big brother and how she will be praised by her idol._

 _Katakuri walked towards the group, who saw the giant noticing them. The little sister flies to him with her arms raised, hoping she will be smothered in praises and love from her idol. "I did it, big brother! That little monkey won't give you any trouble! Give your heroic baby sister a hug, onii-chan!" she cheered happily with a blush on her face. Sadly, she is mistaken._

 _Katakuri stopped and stood a few feet from the flying, infatuated sister and hold his trident. He glared lividly at the group who still continues to taunt the fallen pirate. "You bastards...wanna see something funny?" he asked ominously. In just a second, the gigantic man did something that shocked everyone, his sister, including the young pirate who woke up from the attack: Katakuri impaled himself with his trident in the same area the young pirate has. Blood splattered on the girl's frozen face as she saw her big brother; an idol, an icon, something she adored, admired, and wished to be loved by and finally acknowledged...stabbed himself, with his blood on her face. The group cried out at their lord's self-inflicted attack and asked is he crazy._

 _Katakuri coughed up blood through his scarf from the attack but still remained standing and tossed the bloodied trident aside and glared daggers at the cowardly sister. He breathed heavily as he saw her floating there with shock and horror on her face of what she just witnessed._

 _"Don't you dare..." Katakuri began, raising his hand and grabbed his scarf. In a swift motion, he removed the scarf and stomped a huge stride at the girl's face, towering over her with blistering fury and rage at her instead of the love and adoration she wanted._

 _"GIVE YOUR CHEAP, UNWANTED, AND COWARDLY HELP IN A DUEL BETWEEN MEN!" Katakuri roared, showing his fang filled mouth at the terrified and horrified sister, who screamed and flew backwards, hitting a column._

 _The group looked at their leader in shock and turned to their lord who looked at them, specifically her in an intense glare, panting from the wound with blood running from his mouth. He ignored the stinging, sharp pain of the stab wound and pants through his fangs._

 _*pants* "If you...*wheeze* wanna laugh at that young man over there from your cheap tricks...*pants* then, you might as well laugh at me too." Katakuri growled. The shocked sister stared at her idol who once she idolized, now scolding her like she committed a terrible, grave sin. A few moments passed between them and finally, her shocked face turned to one of hurt but with a sneering tone in it. Her attitude did a complete 180, from idolizing to taunting._

 _"You're-you're...hideous! Uggghh, I can't believe you're my big brother! You're not my big brother, you're just a stupid beast who stabbed himself to make amends for a monkey!" she sniffed and wiped the blood from her face, then sneered at Katakuri who looks at her with an impassive look. "I can't believe I used to love you, now I see you as a beast with an gulper eel for a mouth!" she taunted cruelly. Her crew turned their mockery towards Katakuri and agreed with her._

 _"Yeah, he does have the mouth of one!" one laughed._

 _"The gulper eel is what they called him!" another remarked._

 _"His mouth is so big and ugly, it's so funny!" a third added._

 _Then the sister took a breath and spat her chewing gum at her brother's face, with the group bellowing like hyenas. Despite the spit, despite the taunts, despite the mockery, and despite the nasty hypocrisy of his little sister and her group, Katakuri smirks at them in response. Remembering back to when other kids bully him of his face, yet running away after 'dealing' with them. In truth, he really didn't care. The gum dropped from his face and the giant sighed and walked away to meet the fallen young pirate._

 _Still not finished, the sister continues her charade. "Oh no, you're not getting away! Everyone, take pictures of him! We will expose him for the fraud he truly is!" At the drop of a hat, the group pulled out cameras and took pictures, snickering and laughing as they took them. The giant holds his side, ignoring the flashes and focuses his attention to the young pirate who was sabotaged by his bratty sister. Standing apart by a few feet, Katakuri looked at the young pirate struggling to get up from his grievous wounds._

 _"I apologize. I was so intent and focused on you, I didn't notice the needle when it hit you. Because of that, I hit you while you were drugged. We're even now, once again...I'm so sorry." Katakuri said with a sincerity. The young pirate stood up, hunched over but looks at the giant, panting but looks confused, yet thankful._

 _*wheeze* "There's no need for you do that. I...I should've seen that needle coming, so it's on me. Besides, in a world of pirates...there's no such thing as fair play. But...I appreciate it." the young pirate said. Katakuri smirks at the act of maturity coming from the young pirate. Both wounded warriors stood straight as they looked at each other with excitement gleamed in their eyes, hearing the continuing taunts and laughter coming from the sister and her lackeys._

 _"Hey...our little audience sure are noisy and annoying." Katakuri smirked. The young pirate's face intensified._

 _"Well then...then they proved that they can't handle of what's about to go down!" the pirate agreed. The two warriors' eyes widen in such an intensity, they stared down at each other as two gigantic domes of energy and aura collides against each other. Lightning crackled as the two warriors unleashed their refreshed willpower, destroying a large amount of the world around them. The world shook as if it's scared from the two's fierce will and ambitions to defeat each other._

 _During that, the mockery and laughter turned into foaming mouths and gurgled gasps and cries. The lackeys' eyes rolled in the back of their heads and gargled with shock, terror, and horror on their faces as they collapsed like sandbags one by one, not able to handle the intense willpower. The same fate goes to the sister, who was flabbergasted by the clash of kings as she met her fate on the ground. She foamed at the mouth, sweating bullets, eyes rolled as she realized her fatal mistake and a shocking revelation._

 _"The...monkey...h-h-he...can use...Conqueror's Haki too?" she squeaked out before she is the last intruder to drop to the ground like a rock, meeting with her lackeys on the ground. After the sister and her group are knocked down, the two's Haki subsided and the crumbling rocks dropped to the ground, the lightning stopped, and the world is now silent. Katakuri grabs his vest and rips it, leaving him shirtless and showing the rest of his pink tattoos. He raised his fists in a boxing style as he looked at the young pirate with much respect and honor._

 _"You...were interesting. You made me wanna fight at my full potential. At first, you were a pest, a fly compared to a lion. But now...I see you as my equal, I don't see you beneath my level." Katakuri said, smiling down at the young pirate who put up a similar boxing stance and wheezed._

 _"Really? That's really cool, thank you! But still...I WILL STILL BEAT YOU!" the young pirate proclaimed fiercely as they are ready to begin the third and final round in the world of mirrors, between two kings...in a battlefield that has turned into a war zone._

* * *

He and the young man were mortally wounded with an impalement wound at both their left sides, big globs of blood dripping from them but they continue to battle with all their might. They were ready to fight with their fullest, no pulled punches, an all-out one-on-one as it should be. He winces a bit when he tried to remember the rest but couldn't. He'll figure it out later on down the line. He shook his head and stand up at his monstrous height.

The man is a titan at height, he is standing at a colossal 16'8. The man had short, spiky, crimson hair. He has crimson, intense hooded eyes with arched eyebrows and lower eyelashes. He has two symmetrical scars on both sides of his face to the corners of his mouth. Around his neck is a massive, light ragged scarf that covers his mouth and reaches his shoulders. He wears torn, biker like vest with a skull on the back of the vest. His body is very defined, with pink tattoos and wearing spiked bracelets on his arms. He wears black leather pants with a skull shaped buckle, dark gloves, and spiked boots with spurs. However, underneath the scarf, his most prominent feature is his mouth. His mouth, unlike a normal human's, are razor sharp, almost like an eel.

The man's name is none other than Charlotte Katakuri.

Once Katakuri got his surroundings, he looks around the hallway, trying to see where to go next. The man sighs to himself in slight annoyance. This looks like no building he had ever been in. Maybe it's some kind of dungeon area of Totto Land, maybe a prison, maybe a lost hallway. But strangely, he couldn't sense any people he's familiar with in the area. Wherever he is, it's definitely long forgotten.

Suddenly, Katakuri's eyes turn a bright red and his eyebrows intensifies. After a few seconds, his face returned to its neutral state and turned around. He looked down at his feet and staring straight at him is a boy who is gaping at the sight of him. The boy looks like to be a teenager. He has light brown spiky hair with an ahoge on top of his head and has light hazel eyes. He wears a zipped up dull green hoodie with a red stripe along the zipper, an open black jacket with gold buttons over the hoodie, black jeans, and red sneakers with white toes. On the back of his hoodie is a logo of a red gas mask with a circle around it.

The boy is staring at Katakuri, and to put it lightly…he is shocked. To be fair, who wouldn't be shocked from looking at a man whose appearance is way out of his world and standing at a height that is like three times his AND can look like he can stomp on you like an ant. He is looking at the strange, tall-no…gigantic man with eyes filled with wonder, awe, anxiety, but most of all…terror. Being shocked is an understatement, the boy is terrified beyond belief, basically.

The two of them stare at each other in pregnant silence, the only sound resonating through the empty halls are the boy's trembling and rapid heartbeat. Finally, what it seems like an eternity, Katakuri spoke with a deep, scary, and demanding voice.

"Who are you?"


	2. Chapter 1: Introductions are in order

**Chapter 1: Introductions are in order**

 **7:40 a.m.**

 **First Floor**

 **Hallway**

"Hello"-speech

 _'Hello'-_ thoughts

*groans*-onomatopoeia

"Who are you?" the redhead man demanded.

The boy staring at Katakuri gave his answer, stunned silence. The boy gaped widely at the man who is looking down at him with eyes that can pierce even the toughest of souls. Katakuri sighs at this.

"I'll ask again, who are you?" Still, Katakuri's answer is the shocked and terrified look of the boy. Holding himself from growling and furrowing his eyebrows in annoyance, Katakuri continued.

"Boy, for the last time, stop gawking at me and tell me your name," Katakuri demanded, with a more menacing tone. Katakuri is careful, he doesn't want to terrify the young boy but at the same time, he doesn't know a thing or two of this place or the people, so it is likely that Katakuri will be on guard for whoever approaches him. The boy looks harmless but better safe than sorry. Even though he knows what the boy's going to say, he rather let him tell than say what he is going to say next.

"M-M-M-M-Makoto N-N-Naegi, s-s-sir," the now named Makoto Naegi answered trembling with each syllable. Katakuri continues to stare at the boy and asks him a few questions with Makoto answering with each answer with fright.

"How old are you?"

"F-f-fifteen, sir."

"What is your job?"

"I-I have none, I am a student, sir."

"What do you do?"

"I-I-I am the **Ultimate Lucky Student** , sir."

"The what?"

"The **Ultimate Lucky Student** , sir?"

"What the hell kind of job is that?" Katakuri asked incredulously. He folded his arms.

"Uh, i-it's n-n-n-not a job, sir. I-i-it's my talent."

Katakuri raised his eyebrow. "Talent, what kind of talent? Also, you can relax, I'm not going to hurt you unless you do something threatening to me, which won't happen. And please, stop with the sirs, I appreciate the respect boy, but I'm not that old. Makes me feel older than I already am."

Makoto relaxes a bit but continues to sweat profusely. "Luck, luck is my talent. I-I'm sorry, sir-. It's just that…I've never seen anyone like you before. I mean, holy crap, you are colossal!"

Katakuri hums a bit. "I get that a lot. Let me guess, no one in this world is around my height, correct? The tallest being around 6 or 7 feet tall?"

Makoto nods numbly and chuckles a bit. "That's putting it lightly." Makoto's eyes widen with shock when he heard that last question this strange giant asked him. He cleaned his ears, hopefully he heard the question wrong. "W-W-Wait, what do you mean around your height? You mean, you're not from here?"

Katakuri nods. "That's right, I'm not from your world and some of the people in my world can make you people ants in comparison. Hell, I'm not even a giant and you don't want to catch a heart attack of seeing an actual giant."

Makoto's face blanch and his eyes bulged out. His mouth gapes like a dying flounder fish on a dock, he cannot believe what he has just heard. There are other people in the world that are towering like him and the real giants of his world are more immense than him?! He gulps loudly and tries to recollect himself.

"I-i-if I may, Mr. uhhh?" Makoto stutters and asks nervously.

"Katakuri. Charlotte Katakuri, but you can call me Katakuri," the redhead replies back.

"Mr. Katakuri, if I may ask. H-h-how tall are you?" Makoto stammers. Somehow, he regretted he asked that question. It's like, look at him! He looks like he is standing like 100 feet tall! He wouldn't be surprised if he is, I mean, he looks like he can touch the ceiling of this hallway with just his pinky! If Makoto is any less smart, he would've sworn underneath that massive, scruffy scarf, Katakuri smirks at him. His eyes changed from interrogative to teasing in a manner of seconds.

"506 centimeters, in other words…," Katakuri started teasingly.

"Sixteen feet and eight inches tall, oh my…," Makoto finishes breathlessly. Makoto's sweating so much, a puddle begins to form. Makoto begins to feel a bit dizzy from the monstrous appearance of the crimson head man. This guy looks like he can crush the world if he wants to, his height is so staggering, he can kick anyone beneath him like cans. His legs feel like jelly as he struggles to stand up in front of this giant, any more info overload of this man and he'll faint. Just before things get worse concerning Makoto's well-being, Katakuri spoke.

"Hey, boy, don't pass out on me. I know you are frightened beyond imagination and you think I'm a bad guy out to do some atrocities, but I assure you, I'm not a villain. I'm not here for world domination, chaos, destruction, all those clichés. I'm here for unknown reasons and I'm trying to find my way back home. Now for my answer, what talent is luck?" Katakuri states and asks, this time, without the increased intensity of his eyes. "And pull yourself together, don't faint like a little girl."

Makoto straightens himself out. He wipes the excess sweat from his forehead and clears his throat. Makoto looks a lot better, but his voice still carries a little anxiety. "There's a high school that I attend, it's called Hope's Peak Academy. Students attending there must have a certain type of talent to enroll, students who don't have a talent must attend the Reserve Courses until they can find their talent. Mine is luck, which is kind of-,"

"Self-explanatory," Katakuri finishes.

"Self-explanatory," Makoto finishes. After finishing, Makoto shook his head a bit. That can't be, did he? How did he…what? Huh? "H-how did you know what I'm going to say?" Makoto asks nervously.

Katakuri did an eye smirk. "I can see the future." Makoto's eyes widen in wonder and surprise. This guy not only looks killer strong, but he knows exactly what he's going to say before he finishes his sentence. Right before Makoto begins to ask a plethora of questions, Katakuri shook his head.

"Nope, I'm not going to tell and I'm not like this 'Hiro Hagakure'. My precognition is accurate to the t, I can see minutes in the future, the legitimate future. I can see the true future, not like some false precognition and clairvoyant," Katakuri said.

Makoto stammers a bit. "You did it again! Seriously, how did you do that?" Katakuri shook his head again.

"A little secret," Katakuri answers. Makoto sighs a bit.

"Aww, oh well. Hey, speaking of which, where are we? I don't remember coming here at all, where's the rest of my class?" Makoto asks, looking around at the vast hallway, receiving nothing but silence. Katakuri arches an eyebrow at the last question and closes his eyes. Like the last time, Katakuri's eyes turn red a bit. Makoto looks at him with awe at how his eyes changed from crimson to dark red. He didn't know what's going on with Katakuri, but he knows he's up to something. Question is, what?

"They're in this building in various locations, they are heading to a large room of sorts with stacked benches on top of each other. Some are anxious, some are curious, and some are annoyed of their predicaments," Katakuri answers, his eyes turning back to their original color and his face back to neutral. Makoto looks at Katakuri like he had grown a second head. How did he know who's where and where they're going?

"You know where the rest of my classmates are, and how did you know they're going to the gym?" Makoto asked, once again in shock. Katakuri nodded.

"I can sense where people are if I focus enough. How many are you there in your class?" Katakuri replies and asks.

"Sixteen of us in total, I think. Why?" Makoto asks, thinking that these esper-ish powers of Katakuri can give him an answer. Katakuri nodded.

"Hmm, well this is strange then. I know sixteen kids in here belong to your class," Katakuri answers. Makoto's eyes are filled with relief, knowing that he and Katakuri are not alone in the hallway. "Alongside with them, there are ten people in this large building, I presume they are other classes or somewhere along those lines," Katakuri finishes.

"Wait, other classes? Ten? Is it possible for them to be from the other class on my year or my senpais? I suppose they came the same way I came in," Makoto said. Katakuri nods and closes his eyes. When Makoto starts to ramble on, Katakuri is thinking of a way to get a good grip of this unknown world. If he's going to know how to head back home, he needs to know the people, this school's history, this obsession with talents, every viable information is necessary.

"-last time I remember, I was with-," Makoto continues with his attempt of remembering before he got here. Katakuri cuts him off with a cough and Makoto looks up at Katakuri.

"Hey, Makoto. We have plenty of time before everyone else gathers in this 'gym' you speak of. Would you mind telling me everything about Hope's Peak, your classes, your classmates names, other classes names, their talents, this talent thing, everything?" Katakuri asked. The gigantic man sits down on the floor with his legs crossed and arms still folded. "Don't rush, getting the info right now is more important," Katakuri states.

Makoto looks up at the man who is still taller than him even sitting down. Regardless, Makoto smiles a bit, relaxes, and sits down across Katakuri, and begins to tell him everything to this point. He don't know why, but there is something about Katakuri that makes the younger boy trusts him.

* * *

 **7:55 a.m.**

 **First Floor**

 **Class 1-B**

*groans*

Hajime Hinata stirs up from his slumber and finds himself in an unfamiliar classroom. He stood up from the floor and shook any remaining sleepiness he had. He has light brown spiky hair with an ahoge, similar hairstyle to Makoto but his is shorter. He wears a white dress shirt with a green neck tie with his previous high school emblem embroidered on it. He has black jeans and red and white sneakers.

He looks around in the classroom and tries to remember what happened to him before he was knocked out. He finds it extremely strange how he was doing something one minute and then pass out and wake up in a classroom he wasn't in. Last time he remembered, vaguely, he was in the reserve course because he had no special talent. He almost considered to take part of a project to get some talent, but after that, blank.

His inner thoughts were interrupted when he heard a soft groan. He looked around and spotted a young girl laying sideways waking up from her sleep. The girl has shore, pale mauve hair which is slightly curled. She wears a hairclip with the shape of a spaceship from her video game of _Galaca._ With pale, pink eyes, she wears a teal cardigan with a symbol on the chest pocket and a hood with cat ears and eye markings. She carries a pink cat-themed backpack as well. Underneath the cardigan is a simple white buttoned shirt with a pink ribbon and a beige skirt. Also, she wears thigh high stockings and Mary-Jane style shoes.

The girl looks around the classroom in the same daze when Hajime woke up. She saw Hajime and her eyes widen in surprise. She stood up and walked toward Hajime. Both her and Hajime looked at each other in surprise and recognition.

"Hajime-kun, what are you doing here? Why are we here?" the girl asked.

"I don't know honestly, looks like we are in like your classroom or some other class. I remember seeing you outside when I was at the fountain, getting ready to head in. I didn't catch your name back then, uhhh…" Hajime replied.

"Nanami, Chiaki Nanami. Sorry, I was too busy playing my game. Where are we, are we in Hope's Peak or are we somewhere else?" the now named Chiaki apologized and asked, looking around the classroom. Everything in the classroom looks to be in pristine condition, no broken or weathered tables, podium, walls, or anything. Oddly, the windows looked to be either boarded up or shut with metal. Hajime shrugged.

"I don't know, I never been in your classroom before because well, you know, of what I can remember, I know I didn't have any talent to be enrolled in a normal class. I was enrolled in the reserves," Hajime said. Chiaki scrunches her face.

"Well, that didn't seem fair. Talent doesn't determine your future, it's on you. But you shouldn't worry too much on talent, we need to know where we are, the others, and how did we end up here," Chiaki said. Hajime nodded in agreement.

"You're right. You have any idea where your classmates are?" Hajime asked. Chiaki shook her head and looked around the empty class.

"Nope, no idea where. But I have a feeling that wherever they are, they must be heading to the gym, every school has a gym. If they are here, I know they will gather up at the gym and find out a way to get out of here," Chiaki replied. Hajime smiled a bit and Chiaki smiled back.

"Good idea let's head to the gym. Hopefully the others can find their way to the gym and we can plan to leave and figuring our situation out," Hajime said. Both students left the room and head towards the gym area, wherever it is. They hope that the others can find their way. As the two trekked down the dimly lit hallways, Chiaki took off her backpack and pulled out a handheld game console with a game inside. She puts the backpack back on and starts to play the game along their walk. Hajime looks at Chiaki and raised his eyebrow. He takes in at how focused Chiaki is despite the situation, how she plays the game like it's no problem, despite the game looking incredibly hard. He's not a gamer, that's for sure but he sure knows whatever talent she has, this is what she is good at.

"Hey, Chiaki, may I ask you?" Hajime asked. Not taking off the game, Chiaki replied.

"Yes?"

"Does your talent involved video games?" he asked. Chiaki nodded.

"That's right, I am the **Ultimate Gamer** ," she replied, still focusing on the game. Hinata nodded.

"Do you ever feel…bored of playing just video games, Chiaki?" Hajime asked.

Chiaki shook her head. "Not really, actually. I just love video games, wherever I go, I pull up a console and play whatever game there is. Didn't really had time to make friends, most people look at me funny and think of me as anti-social. I didn't let it bother me, but sometimes…I wish I can use video games to make new friends, someone to play with. A co-op instead of a solo."

Hajime sighs a bit. Even with a talent, she doesn't feel satisfied with talent alone. She wants to make friends but everyone around her see her too occupied and too much of an introvert to socialize. To make light of the situation they're in, he comes up with an idea.

"I can be your friend," Hajime said. Chiaki's eyes widen a bit when she heard those words. It made her lose whatever game she's playing, she looks up at Hajime.

"Really?" Chiaki asked, her eyes sparkling a bit. Hajime smiles and nodded.

"Why not? We never were friends back then, so…why not now? Never play alone, right?" Hajime replied, smiling even brighter. For once, Chiaki doesn't feel like a loner. She has a friend outside her classmates, someone who despite having no talent, still asks to be her friend. Chiaki paused her game and smiled wider than before.

"Thank you, Hinata-kun," Chiaki thanked with a light blush on her cheeks. Hajime smiled back at her.

"No need to thank me, Nanami-chan," Hajime said. The new friends faced forward and continue their search for the gym to wait for the others and hope that they can be friends and get out of this place as soon as possible.

* * *

 **8:15 a.m.**

 **First Floor**

 **Hallway**

Shuichi Saihara grumbles as he found himself in a situation like no other. He remembered he was waking up from a locker and he was trying to think of where he is and how and why he's here. He heard a banging near him and his locker was opened by someone else that seemed to be in the same situation he's in. He stumbled out of the locker and crashed into someone who opened his locker. The person let out a high-pitched yelp of surprise as they crashed and landed on the ground in a pile of tangled limbs.

Shuichi groans from the fall and pressed against the person. The person lets out a soft squeak and Shuichi's face turns red as the person was a girl. The girl got up from the pile and straightened herself out and puffed her cheeks with a light blush. The girl has shoulder-length blonde hair, with a few silver music note hairpins. She's wearing a high school uniform: a long-sleeved white shirt with a light purple vest with an insignia and a red tie. She wears a purple skirt with black music staves and note pattern, also with beige shoes and purple stockings. On her back is a white backpack. The girl puts on a chiding look on her face and folded her arms.

"You know, there are better ways to meet girls," the girl muttered. Shuichi looked up at the girl with embarrassment. He has short black hair with eyelashes. The girl couldn't make out his grey eyes due to his black cap obscuring his pale face. He also wears a high school uniform, which is black in color with five buttons on his right, two on his left and attached with a high school logo. His pants and shoes are also black.

"I-I'm sorry, I was trying to get out when you opened it, the door was jammed or something," he stammered slightly. He stood and averted his gaze, with a blush adorning his face. The girl slipped her chiding face off before giving Shuichi a smile.

"Hey, I'm not mad at you or anything, just teasing you. I guess you don't know how we got here?" the girl said. Shuichi shook his head timidly.

"No, I remembered being accepted to Hope's Peak Academy, being outside of the entrance then everything went black," he said.

"Hmm, you too? Guess we got here the same way, guess we'll find it together. Oh, my name is Kaede Akamatsu, the **Ultimate Pianist** ," the blonde girl named Kaede said.

"S-Shuichi Saihara, the **Ultimate Detective** , though I don't feel like it," the boy said, saying the last part quietly. Kaede looked at him with a warm smile, which puts his concerns at ease.

"Hey, no need to think like that. Geez, we need to work on your confidence, some students at Hope's Peak will eat you alive, so be more confident, okay?" Kaede reassured Shuichi.

"Even if you say that, I'm…" he trailed off, when suddenly he heard voices in the distance.

Kaede tilted her head. "Hmm, seems we're not alone here. Come on then, let's go," Kaede quipped as she grasped his hand and led him to the source of the voices.

Shuichi's face blushed when he felt her hand, her soft delicate hand grasping his. Kaede looked back at him and smiled.

"Come on, Shuichi, don't be a slowpoke or else you will be last place when you enter Hope's Peak," Kaede teased. Shuichi's eyes widen.

"R-really? I would be in last place, I won't…graduate?" Shuichi stammered nervously.

"Man, you really need to loosen up a bit, I was just teasing. I got a little music in mind to help you relax," Kaede mused.

* * *

 **8:23 a.m.**

 **First Floor**

 **Hallway**

Katakuri nodded his head after Makoto told him everything about Hope's Peak Academy: the students, the teachers, headmasters, talents, everything. Katakuri took note of everything Makoto told him. Makoto looks up at Katakuri and nodded.

"And that's everything until this point, Katakuri. Sorry I couldn't tell you more about how you came in here, let alone how I came here," Makoto finishes with an apologetic look.

"Don't fret on it, you told me everything you know and that's important. I find it pretty dumb for a school to rely on talent, they even put those who don't have talent in lesser classes, like they're fodder," Katakuri said, with a tiny bit of disappointment in his tone. Makoto nodded.

"Yeah, that's really unfair, I mean…talent doesn't determine your whole life or anything, and I don't want my classmates to let that mentality get them into trouble," Makoto added.

"Don't worry about them, they're not that petty unless given a certain background of their life. Speaking of which, this gym you speak of is being filled with your classmates and the others right now," the redhead said.

"Wow, really? Is everyone there?" Makoto asked. Katakuri closed his eyes and reopens them shortly.

"Yes, every person that is in this building is there, except us two," Katakuri replied. Makoto smiled a bit.

"Great, then I guess let's get this thing started, hope this goes smoothly," Makoto said and got up. Katakuri hums in agreement and stood up to his towering height. Before they head off, Makoto stopped. "Hey, Katakuri, I didn't ask you, what is your talent? Are you an Ultimate?"

Katakuri looked down at the boy. "No, I'm not an Ultimate and frankly, I don't want to be, sounds like a chore to be chosen title over one thing. And to be frank, if you are only good at one thing and think you're the best of that talent, then consider yourself a one-trick pony."

Makoto took what Katakuri said to mind. It's true, if they are only good at one thing, what other talents they possess other than one? Can they have more than one talent? Before he thinks even more, Katakuri turns at Makoto and by the look of it, Katakuri has an eye smirk.

"Hey Makoto?"

"Yes?" Makoto replied, looking up at the man.

"You never seen anyone like me before, right?" Katakuri asked with a slight teasing tone. Makoto raised an eyebrow.

"If I did, the whole world would know. You are the first, Katakuri," the boy replied. "What are you getting at?"

For some reason, he heard the stern, serious, no-nonsense, mega-ultra **_badass_** Charlotte Katakuri chuckled. The chuckle sounds teasing with a slight hint of sadism, is he planning? Why did his spine shivered when he heard that chuckle? A feeling in his gut is telling him either it'll be good...or terrible.

* * *

 **8:27 a.m.**

 **First Floor**

 **Gym**

The gymnasium in the building is filled with many new faces. The gym is filled with chatter, some greeting each other, some nervous of the situation, some annoyed, and some are thinking by themselves, observing and thinking the situation. A total of 26 students are gathered at the gym. Each student has their distinctive and unique look and an aura that tells their personality. The chatter wilted a bit as they saw Makoto enters the gym, the door echoing across. The numerous gazes looked at the boy that entered but their gaze turned at what Makoto is wearing. Around his neck is a large, scruffy, furry scarf that looked like it swallowed him and his shoulders. The wilted chatter turned silent as they observe the extremely large scarf that is around his neck. Makoto lets out a chuckle.

"So, all you guys are students as well?" Makoto asked curiously. His tone has a small hint of excitement of meeting new faces and glanced around the massive gym. The chatter turns back to normal with a little murmuring of what that thing is around his neck. Makoto let out a nervous chuckle until he heard a voice.

"Hey, Makoto, is that you?" a girl cried out. Makoto turns around and sees a girl with long, dark sapphire hair that shines brightly in the gym. She wears a white sailor uniform with a mix of light and dark colors in certain areas. She has a pink bow tie to her neck line while wearing long pairs of sock to her thighs. She wears brown shoes and her appearance looks modest at best. But what stood out the most are her eyes. Her eyes are the same color of her hair, making it more beautiful and appealing as she smiled at Makoto.

"You remember me, right? We went to middle school together," the girl squealed, clasping her hands.

Makoto's eyes widen. "S-Sayaka? Of course! You were so popular back then and I was…the exact opposite," he muttered with a crestfallen expression as he looked at the girl named Sayaka Maizono's face and blushed. _'She's so pretty, she's like a doll, so perfect,'_ he mused to himself.

"Hey Naegi, I'm not a doll, you know!" Sayaka giggled, Makoto let out a surprised look as she read his thoughts. _'Does she have the same abilities as...no, she can't. Can she?'_ the boy thought wildly, slightly worried of another psychic in the class.

"I'm an esper," Sayaka said seriously as Makoto looked at her with a startled expression. A few seconds later, she lets out a giggle.

"Just kidding, I have really good intuition, that's all," she giggled. Makoto blushed and inwardly lets out a sigh.

"Speaking of which Naegi, what's that thing around your neck and why it's so big?" Sayaka asked curiously, pointing at the large scarf around his neck.

"Oh, this? It's just one of my father's keepsakes, he lends me to it, keeping it for safe keeping," Makoto lied with an embarrassed blush on his face. Sayaka looked up at Makoto and saw a black fedora on his head.

"That hat is also your father's?" the girl asked. Makoto chuckles and rubs the back of his neck.

"Yep, I know I look super weird with these on, but, what you going to do?" Makoto asked. Sayaka shrugged and smiled brightly, jumping slightly.

"Hey, we got to hang out sometimes, maybe sort out all this mess?" she suggested. It took a few seconds before Makoto's brain catches up as he offered a smile back.

"I-I would love it, Maizono," he said. Sayaka smiled brighter and bowed her head.

"Well, I guess introductions are in order. Got to met everyone else before the hall monitor loses his head, right?" Sayaka giggles as she walks away.

Makoto stared at her before he thought to himself. _'I was really worried at first that she's a mind reader but I'm glad it's just intuition. I thought all of this would be weird and awkward but, I'm super excited to meet these new faces. Maybe I would fit in, and perhaps my new friend will introduce himself…it'll be hilarious.'_ Makoto smiled and follows Sayaka to meet the rest of the students.

"YOU'RE 27 MINUTES LATE! THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE! TARDINESS LIKE THAT WILL NOT BE TOLERATED!" a commanding voice shouted at Makoto. Startled at the voice, Makoto looks at to where the source was and found someone pointing at him.

The boy looks at Makoto intensely with his red eyes. He has spiky black hair and wears a crisp white military uniform wearing black boots. His uniform is clean, unwrinkled, and unblemished. He has a bronze medal with a red ribbon and has a red armband with the words "Hall Monitor" written on it. The boy's intense glare causes Makoto to flinch and Sayaka sigh. Nobody knows, except for Makoto who felt it, the large scarf shuffled slightly.

"IF YOU ARE GOING TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THIS SCHOOL, THEN YOU MUST FOLLOW THE RULES TO THE T! I WON'T ACCEPT TARDINESS LIKE THAT!" the boy shouted at Makoto. Sayaka walked up to Makoto's side and looks at the boy with a chiding look.

"Now come on, Ishimaru, it's not like he doesn't _want_ to be late. You don't have to be that harsh to Naegi-kun," Sayaka chastised with a stern look, holding her arm across Makoto, guarding him for the boy.

"Then you're gonna must be more careful next time, Makoto Naegi. Next time if you are tardy, I have to punish you," Ishimaru warned, going back to his natural tone. Makoto nodded and chuckled weakly. Ishimaru raised his hand to shake Makoto's.

"So, you are the **Ultimate Moral Compass**. I heard about you coming here," Naegi said softly. "Receiving a lot of top honors every year at the private school." Makoto shook Ishimaru's hand.

"Indeed! Kiyotaka Ishimaru at your service, but you can call me Taka for short. Makoto Naegi, I heard of you, I've read of about your talent. Also, that is a strange scarf and hat you are wearing? Is it a gift?" the **Ultimate Moral Compass** said and asked, before ending the handshake. That gave Makoto a slight blush.

"Y-yeah, not that much of a talent actually and yes, my dad gave me his keepsakes, wants me to wear them," he laughed nervously. Ishimaru nodded at that.

"Nonsense, I think luck can be a really great talent," a cheerful voice added. Makoto ends the handshake and he looks at who complimented his talent.

"Indeed, even to someone as useless as I am, luck can be very useful," another voice remarked. Makoto and Sayaka looked at the two newcomers.

A girl walks up beside Makoto and Sayaka. The girl has a caramel skin complexion with shining blue eyes. Her chocolate brown hair is put on a bun with the end looking like a tear. She wears a white tank top containing her massive breasts. With the tank top, she wears a red gym jacket, small pair of blue gym shorts, a red knee band wrapped around her leg, white socks, and a pair of lime green shoes. The girl's aura speaks bubbly.

With the girl, a boy looking the same age walks to the duo. He stands above the trio, standing at 5'9. He has grey-green eyes with a pale skin complexion, almost sickly. His white hair is shoulder length and wavy. Each wavy end has a darker shade of white until the lightest white comes to his scalp. He wears a knee-length dark green zipper hoodie with a jagged-cut tail. His hoodie has red squares across the shoulder and a large red '55' on the back. He wears white T-shit with a red design underneath. He wears black jeans and a wallet chain with a skull charm with brown shoes with two zippers on them. Unlike the girl, the boy's aura is a mix, pessimistic and optimistic.

"Hi, nice to meet you! I am Aoi Asahina, the **Ultimate Swimmer**. Pumped to meet you, wicked scarf and awesome hat by the way," the girl named Aoi introduced bubbly. Makoto and Sayaka smiles back at her with their own bright smiles. Ishimaru bows to Aoi before leaving the group.

"Makoto Naegi, **Ultimate Lucky Student** and thanks," the ahoge boy said and thanked.

"Sayaka Maizono, **Ultimate Pop Idol** ," the bluehead said. Aoi smiled bright, rocking back and forth.

Makoto shifted under the eye of the strange boy. "Sorry, ummm, I didn't catch your name," he said uncomfortably.

The boy smiles faintly. "I'm so sorry, it's strange meeting another person like me. Nagito Komaeda is my name, even though I find it shameful for someone like me to meet someone like you, and shamefully, I am also the **Ultimate Lucky Student**." He raised his hand to shake.

Makoto chuckled half-heartedly as he shook Nagito's hand lightly. "I wasn't aware there was another student with the same skillset, but I guess it's great because luck is anything, but great."

Nagito smiles wider. "My, my, what an interesting scarf you're wearing. Your dad must've picked a unique treasure for you to wear it. Even for someone like me, we're both stepping stones of those around us who are talented. Anyways, a pleasure of meeting you Makoto." Nagito walked away.

Makoto's eyebrows furrowed a bit. _'He's friendly but he's seem so eccentric and negative about himself. Well, at least he's friendly,'_ he said to himself with a faint smile.

A blonde girl and a boy wearing a cap approaches the trio after Nagito left. "Hey, nice to meet you!" the girl cheered. The boy's face is obscure by the cap and Makoto can tell of his expression, he is timid.

"My name is Kaede Akamatsu, the **Ultimate Pianist**. Silly, actually, I love making, makes people smile," Kaede introduced. Sayaka smiled when she heard that Kaede is a musician.

"Hey, me too, well, I sing actually. My name is Sayaka Maizono, the **Ultimate Pop Idol**! I bet we can make great music together, don't you think?" Sayaka remarked happily. Kaede's smile widen at the mention of them having a duet. Makoto looks at the shy boy who is trying to hide his face with his cap. Makoto chuckled lightly.

"Hey, you okay? I'm Makoto Naegi, the **Ultimate Lucky Student** , I hope we can get along well," Makoto offered with a hand raised for a shake. Shuichi looks at Makoto nervously. Kaede saw this and nudges the boy.

"Hey, don't mind Shuichi, he's really shy but he's great. Come on, he won't bite," Kaede teased.

Shuichi steps forward and clears his throat. "I'm sorry, I'm not much of a person who follows the crowd. Shuichi Saihara, the **Ultimate Detective**." He shook Makoto's hand and mutters the last part. "At least, that's what they gave me."

Makoto smiled softly. "Seems like we have something in common. It's okay, I'm shy too."

Kaede chuckled. "Mm-hm, yeah, sounds like it. You two are as timid as they come but you really are nice guys." Kaede looks at Aoi still bouncing at their introductions and vigorously shook her head. "Oh, I am so sorry! Kaede Akamatsu, **Ultimate Pianist** and this is Shuichi Saihara, **Ultimate Detective**." Kaede raised her hand for a handshake.

Aoi smiled brightly and giggled. "It's okay, it's more fun seeing new faces introducing themselves and getting along. Aoi Asahina, the **Ultimate Swimmer** ," she shook Kaede's hand.

"Ooh, a swimmer? That's a nice talent, I'm not much of a swimmer, I will sink like a rock, but I can bet you can teach me how to if we have the time, right?" Kaede asked. Aoi nodded.

"Sure, I will love to teach you and Shuichi-san the basics of swimming!" Aoi replied happily.

"That's great, hope we can one day," Kaede smiled. Sayaka approaches Kaede and jumped slightly.

"You're a pianist? I hope we can have a duet, me singing and you playing the piano. Sayaka Maizono, the **Ultimate Pop Idol**! I want the both of us to play something together, I love to cheer people with music," Sayaka said. Kaede smiled widely.

"Yeah, I hope whenever we solve of where we are, we can have a duet together. It'll be a blast!" Kaede quipped happily and the singer and musician giggled at the thought. She grabbed Shuichi's hand and pulled him forward. "Come on, Shuichi, we need some sleep after we finish our introductions. Nice meeting you guys!" Kaede called out before she and Shuichi walks in the crowd. The trio smiled at they saw them go. Makoto smiled.

' _Kaede is a great girl, she would be a lot of fun to hang with. Her and Sayaka having a duet, that'll be amazing. Shuichi looks he is a great guy, but like me, we both need to overcome our timidity,'_ he mused.

Aoi walked up in front of Sayaka and Makoto with a wide smile. "Hey, everyone is here, why not everyone can introduce ourselves?" she offered.

Sayaka's eyes brighten. "That's a great idea, get to know everyone's name and talent. Naegi-kun, what do you think?" Makoto looks at them with megawatt smiles on their faces. He smiles back.

"Ummm, sure," he said uncertainly. Inwardly though, he is ecstatic! Finally, the time for introductions are here! _'Yes, great idea! I can't wait to see their faces when they see my new friend,'_ he giggled to himself.

 _'This is going to be classic!'_

 _End of chapter_

* * *

 _ **A/N: Aaaaaand that's the end of the official chapter~. Makoto meeting Katakuri, Katakuri learning about the history, every student meeting in the gym and Makoto is wearing a scarf and fedora for some reason. Why is he wearing the scarf? Why is Makoto so giddy about this? The answer will come in the next chapter! I made the chapter longer than before and I hope the length satisfies your love for long chapters. I'm aiming to make a chapter around 6000 to 10000 words for more reading experiences. If I made any grammar mistakes or sentence structuring or story wise errors, please comment. REVIEW, LIKE, AND FAVORITE, NO FLAMES PLEASE!**_

 _ **THANK YOU FOR READING THE FIRST OFFICIAL CHAPTER OF THE ULTIMATE BIG BROTHER!**_


	3. Chapter 2: Introductions pt 2

**Chapter 2: Introductions pt. 2**

 **8:27 a.m./ Day 1**

 **First Floor**

 **Gym**

"Hello"-speech

' _Hello'-_ thoughts

*groans*-onomatopoeia

 **Ultimate ?:** title

The one thing that hit Hajime when he and Chiaki entered the crowded gym is the amount of new faces and new talents that filled the gym. Hajime looked around the gym, looking at different students with different personalities with different talents. The talentless boy tried not to let the thought of having no talent amongst these skilled students bring him down, but he couldn't help but feel a bit inferior. His thoughts were interrupted by a nudge on his hip. He looked down and saw Chiaki is still playing her game but turned her attention to him.

"Stop thinking like that, Hinata-kun. Who cares if you don't have talent or not, certainly not these people," the mauve head gamer said while playing her game. Hajime rubs his side from the nudge and chuckles nervously.

"Heh, sorry about that. Talent really doesn't control or determine your life, does it?" Hajime apologizes. Chiaki nodded at that.

Before he says anymore, a thought popped into his head: an opportunity to talk to his fellow classmates and his juniors. Hajime turned to Chiaki.

"Hey, Chiaki, this is a great time to help you socialize. Maybe you can make some new friends amongst them," Hajime said. Chiaki continues to play her game while nodding. Hajime decides to play a small prank on her. He covers her game system and that small distraction made her lose.

Chiaki looked at Hajime with her puffed cheeks. Hajime can't help but smile and blush slightly at her face. She looks awfully adorable with her cheeks like that. Hajime chuckles at her face.

"That means talking to them face to face," Hajime teased. Chiaki puffed her cheeks out more and groaned childishly. She puts her game back in her backpack in like how a child is grounded.

"Okay," she said, her chipmunk face dropped instantly. Hajime tilted his head at the sudden change of attitude, from childish pouting to accepting, odd. The duo walked to the crowd of students but came to a complete stop as a girl approaches them.

"Hey, you two lovebirds! It's about fucking time you come here," the girl exclaimed vulgarly. Hajime and Chiaki's eyes widen at the foul language this tall blonde said.

The blonde stands at 5'8 with long, strawberry blonde hair and two ahoges. She wears a modified pink sailor uniform and matching skirt, the collar exposing her massive cleavage. She wears black and studded fingerless gloves, with black heeled boots with gold buttons and buckles on them. She has black straps on her thighs with gold rings attached to them to her white socks. She also has straps around her waist to her collar. She wears a black choker and two smaller collars that resemble barbed wire around her neck. On her collar, she wears a pin of a mouse. Her most noticeable feature is her icy blue eyes. Her eyes have rings around her pupils with a pattern that makes her eyes look slightly mechanical.

"L-lovebirds?" Hajime asked incredulously. He and Chiaki's faces turned red in embarrassment of the thought. The strawberry blonde smirked at their faces before laughing loudly.

"I'm just fucking with you! Miu fucking Iruma, **Ultimate Inventor** is my name! What are yours?" the girl named Miu Iruma introduced, full of pride. Hajime and Chiaki awkwardly looked at each other, taking in how this girl speaks before introducing themselves.

"Chiaki Nanami, **Ultimate Gamer**."

' _Well, she's definitely unlike anyone else I've met,'_ the boy mused to himself. "W-well, we're not together…I think? I'm Haj-,"

"Hajime Hinata, yeah yeah, I've heard of you. Let's be honest…you were late because you were having fun between Chiaki's sexy tits, huh? But hey, I don't blame you, she has nice tits though," Miu teased.

Hajime's face turned bright red, with steam coming from his ears. His ahoge is pointing rod straight and wiggles with Hajime's flurry of emotions: embarrassed, angry, nervous, and shocked from Miu's teasing. Chiaki is faring a little better, but she is also blushing like crazy and her eyes widen of Miu's lewd idea of them doing it before they came here. Before their minds go any further, Miu laughed.

"I'm just fucking with you," she laughed as she waved her hand dismissively. "Enjoy the view while you can, shrimp," she called out before she walked off and cracking into another fit of laughter.

' _She's definitely…unique,'_ Hajime thought as he watched Miu walked into the crowd.

"She's loud, I'll give her that," Chiaki added, as if she read Hajime's thoughts about the swearing blonde.

"You're right about that," Hajime replied. After Miu is out of sight, a heavy-set boy is walking towards them.

The boy wears a white dress shirt with a grey jacket. He has large black pants and a pair of white tennis shoes. He has an orange neck tie with a blue arrow pointed up. He also wears a small, orange backpack with a few anime keychains attached to the ends of the zippers. His noticeable trait is face, which resembles a hamster, and wears simple round glasses. His hair is slickly combed with a small strand sticking out.

"I…am Hifumi Yamada, the **Ultimate Fanfic Creator**!" the boy introduced with a childish tone.

"Hajime Hinata, I don't know what my talent is," the ahoge boy introduced.

"Chiaki Nanami, **Ultimate Gamer** ," the gamer girl said. The boy Hifumi's eyes widen when he heard Chiaki's talent.

"Oh, a gamer? Then you must know about the 2-D world?" the fanfic creator asked. Chiaki tilted her head in confusion.

"I guess? I play both 2-D and 3-D games, but any game I find, I play," Chiaki said, confused of Hifumi's fascination of the video game platforms. "Why, you like video games?" In her mind, Chiaki hopes she'd found someone who likes video games like her.

"Well, in a way. I'm mainly fascinated by the 2-D world, since in that world…I made over thousands of my fan comic across a comic-con festival!" Hifumi proclaimed with a proud and smug tone. "But alas…some people didn't understand my work. I'm sure if you observe my work, you can understand its greatness immediately! For my work has a deeper meaning."

"Deeper meaning?" Chiaki asked.

"Embracing our most fundamental desires and urges," Hifumi answered shamelessly as he adjusted his glasses. The duo blinked at his comment before shrugging simultaneously, agreeing to just accept it.

"Anyways, nice meeting you two. If you ever want to talk about certain fanfictions, shippings, or my work, you know where to find me," Hifumi finished. Giving one last bow, Hifumi wandered off into the crowd, no doubt to express his greatness to anyone who'll listen to him.

"So, you don't know your talent?" a voice said, coming from behind Hajime and Chiaki. The two looked down and tensed at the small boy who grinned at them mischievously.

The boy has a deceiving look. He has an innocent and refined face. He has purple eyes and moderately long, wavy blackish purple hair. He wears white suit with multiple straps wrapped around his arms, and two straps hanging loose around his legs. His shirt is ripped at the hem and the collar is gone, with the big parts of his suit fixed with metal clips. He has military badges on his right with multi-colored buttons down the middle of his shirt. He wears a chessboard pattern scarf and two black and purple slip flats.

"You too, huh? Don't know what your talent is yet?" the boy asked.

Hajime's eyes widened. "Oh, so you don't know yours either?"

The boy's expression changed from mischievous and questioning to amusement before he chortled a bit. "Oh, heavens no. I'm Kokichi Oma, the **Ultimate Supreme Leader**."

"What kind of talent is that? And why did you lie saying you don't have talent?" Hajime questioned at the suspicious boy.

Kokichi shrugged. "Eh, you'll figure it out. Truth and lies are exchangeable at will. Besides, where's in fun in that? Maybe I'm lying, maybe I don't have talent. Then again, maybe you don't know your talent, maybe you're lying to that girl beside you about you have no talent. Maybe you're lying just to seek pity. But who knows really, guess we'll find out, won't we Hajime?" he chuckled before walking away. Unknowing to the duo, the boy's amused grin changed to a wicked one as he strode away.

Chiaki looked at Hajime with a slightly worried look of what the boy said, and Hajime's eyes furrowed at what Kokichi said as they saw the boy out of their sight.

"Hajime don't let him get to you like that. You'll find your talent soon," Chiaki said, trying to ease the cautious boy.

Hajime smiled at Chiaki. "I know, Nanami-chan, I won't." He turned back at the retreating form of Kokichi with his eyes narrowed. _'A compulsive liar, great. I'll keep my distance from him if he tries anything funny.'_

"I see you met that little weirdo. Bummer, it's impossible to meet people like him. Kaito Momota, the **Ultimate Astronaut** , nice to meet ya," a voice said behind them. The duo turned around and saw a girl and boy looking at them. The boy eases the duo, but the girl puts them back in wary mode.

The girl stands at a common height, with a thin physique, although Hajime can tell there are lean muscles underneath. She has red eyes and long, dark brown hair held in pigtails by red scrunchies. She has a mole under her left eye and wearing a scarlet sailor uniform. She also wears thigh highs of the same color, with a black plaid skirt and brown ankle boots. She looks at the nervous duo with a scrutinizing and serious expression, as the boy, whom Hajime and Chiaki identified as Kaito Momota gives off an easing aura.

Kaito towers above the two, standing at a perfect 6 foot. He has spiky purple hair gelled to look like a jet. He has lilac eyes and a short goatee. He wears a white T-shirt with a _kumadori_ design stamped on it with a white dress shirt. He wears purple blazer with a galaxy design inside it, with his left arm in the sleeve and the right arm out, giving the blazer a cape-like impression. He wears purple pants with slippers that have the same galaxy design on them.

"I'm not interested in getting to know both of you," the girl said with a terse and sharp tone.

"Hey, quit being like that, Maki Roll, you're scaring them. Getting to know them is part of an experience," Kaito exclaimed with a fierce grin.

"Maki Roll?" Hajime asked. The girl presumably named Maki blushed slightly at the nickname before straightening her face. She huffed slightly and crossed her arms.

"My name is Maki Harukawa, the **Ultimate Child Caregiver** , that's all I have to say," the dark brunette said businesslike before looking down.

"Child caregiver?" Hajime asked. Maki looked at the boy with a serious glare, startling him.

"Yeah, and before you say it, no I don't like kids, they seem to like me, that's all." After that, she turns around and walks from the trio.

"Well, she's friendly," Hajime muttered.

"Ah, she's always like that, man. Give her time, people like her want to be like that when you first met them. But once you get to know her, she's not that bad to talk to," Kaito grinned. "Anyways, catch you later, peeps," he finishes, walking away before waving his hand at the duo.

Hajime looked down at Chiaki who pulled out another game. Couldn't blame her though, the people he met so far were vulgar, eccentric, suspicious, cool, and downright cold and rude.

"Give it time, Chiaki. I know you don't speak well to people and socialize, but we'll find someone or people you'll be comfortable around," Hajime said confidently. Chiaki looked up at him while still playing her game with a curious look.

"…Yeah, you're right," Chiaki said with a tiny smile before yawning softly.

And as if their thoughts were answered, a boy came to the duo who sufficed to say, normal…well, excluding the massive and furry scarf that grabbed their attention. Like Hajime, he has short brown hair, which is slightly longer than Hajime's with an ahoge. He has hazel eyes, wears a black jacket and green hoodie. He had on black jeans and a pair of red and white sneakers. The two things that stood out of the average looking boy is the black fedora on top of his head and the scarf around his neck, covering his mouth and shoulders.

"Hey, you two. My name is Makoto Naegi, the **Ultimate Lucky Student** , well…at least what they gave me," the boy chuckled half-heartedly, his voice slightly muffled by the scarf but clear enough to be audible.

Hajime nodded and smiled a bit. "Name is Hajime Hinata. I know this'll sound strange, but I don't know what my talent is. Seems like I'm not the only one experiencing amnesia. Do you by any chance remember how you got here?"

Makoto pulled down the scarf a bit to reveal his mouth to talk a bit more clearly. He rubbed his chin a bit and furrowed his eyebrows thoughfully. "No, I have no idea either, seems we're both on the same boat. Anyways, we must stay positive and I'm sure things will work out in the end. But don't fret too much on having no talent, I'm sure you'll find yours eventually," he mused.

Hajime chuckled weakly before his eyes widen. "Hey Naegi, meet Chiaki Nanami, the **Ultimate Gamer**. Chiaki, Makoto Naegi, the **Ultimate Lucky Student**." Chiaki looked at the normal boy while still playing her game.

"Hey, nice to meet you, Nanami. You love video games, huh?" Makoto asked. Chiaki nodded while her attention goes back to her game.

"Hey, uh…if you like, once we know how we get out of here, we could play some video games to get along, if you like?" Makoto asked. This grabbed her attention, making her pause her game and smiled a bit.

"Really?" the gamer girl asked. The scarf wearing boy nodded happily.

"Sure, you, me, and Hinata, we can play video games and hopefully can bring a crowd in to get along," Naegi added.

A chance to make friends through video games? To socialize through playing together? These thoughts of new friends that find her talent and behavior great and not weird or abnormal makes her soft smile widen a bit.

"That sounds great, I hope we can one day," Chiaki smiled. Makoto nodded at that and looked at Hajime, who also smiled from Chiaki finally socializing and finding a new friend.

"Also, one more question, Makoto. What's with that large scarf and fedora hat?" Hajime asked with Chiaki nodding in agreement. Makoto scratched his head.

"Yeah, they're my dad's. Nifty, huh? Wants me to wear them, despite this scarf swallowing me whole. Besides, it looks cool, huh?" Makoto replied while pulling up the scarf over his mouth and straightening the fedora.

Hajime and Chiaki nodded at that. "You're right, it does look cool," Hajime remarked.

Makoto blushed slightly and waves his hand. "Anyways, I hope we can catch up one day, have to meet everyone else. See you later." As he walked away, far from their earshot, Makoto giggled softly.

After the boy left, Hajime smiled at Chiaki who also smiled at Makoto's suggestion of a video game hangout. "So, Chiaki, what do you think?" Chiaki looked at Hajime cutely.

"…I like that, I can't wait to play video games and making new friends," the girl answered before yawning softly. Hajime chuckled at her yawning before a loud feminine voice shouted across the gym.

"HEY EVERYONE, LET'S ALL INTRODUCE EACH OTHER!"

Hajime and Chiaki saw that the chatter of everyone in the gym died down by the loud suggestion. Some grumbled at the shout, some shrugged, and some cheered at the suggestion. Hajime and Chiaki looked at each and shrugged. Well, at least they get to know more names from these students one by one instead of random. What else can be crazier than meeting a whole bunch of people with different talents and personalities? Hajime and Chiaki walked to where most of the students are rounding at to the voice that shouted.

 _End of chapter_

 _ **A.N/ Aaaaand that's cut! I know this chapter is filler, but I decide to give every character a time to shine and introduce each other, don't wanna rush immediately to the moment everyone is waiting for and I know what you peeps are knowing what's about to go down~. Ooooooh, I can't wait to type that, but I must give out these chapters for fun and to flesh the characters out. Don't want this story to feel stale and end on a whimper. Quality comes before quantity. And I know this chapter isn't as long as the previous one, and I will make it a bit longer down the line, but I don't want to rush these introductions to these quirky characters before they meet the Great Katakuri and I'm sure by now what you peeps know where he is~. I will try and update this story twice every week or two weeks, but I don't wanna stress myself and give out mediocre chapters to you guys but then again, learning experience. SO LIKE, FAVORITE, FOLLOW, AND REVIEW, NO FLAMES PLEASE.**_

 _ **SEE YOU NEXT TIME ON THE ULTIMATE BIG BROTHER!**_


	4. Chapter 3: Introductions pt 3

**Chapter 3: Introductions pt. 3**

 **8:45 a.m./ Day 1**

 **First Floor**

 **Gym**

"Hello"-speech

 _'Hello'_ -thoughts

*groan*-onomatopoeia

 **Ultimate ?: title**

The number of new faces and talents overtook Kaede and Shuichi. With Kaede, it overtook her with excitement by meeting new people and faces. On the other hand, it overtook Shuichi with anxiety.

"Well, Shuichi, who shall we meet first?" Kaede asked excitedly, holding Shuichi's hand. The dark haired boy tried to hide his face under the cap, with a faint blush on his face.

"I-I'm not sure about this Kaede..." the boy muttered, looking all around of the crowded gym filled with chatter. Kaede rolled her eyes and tugged Shuichi slightly.

"Oh, don't be like that. Give it try, it'll be fun to meet new students here, maybe we can figure out a way to get out of here with their help, haven't thought about that, detective?" Kaede reassured and teased, with a little smirk. Shuichi's eyes widen at the joke and looked down at the floor in embarrassment. Kaede chuckled at his flustering.

"Hey, I'm just kidding, Shuichi. Boy, you need to lighten up," Kaede said.

"So, you're here too, huh? Today is our first day of school, guess we all are here by the same reason, magic," a female voice remarked behind the duo. The two students turned around and looked at a girl who has a very childish face.

She has short dark-red hair, reddish-brown eyes, a blue hairpin, a childlike round face, and pale skin. Out of everyone in the gym, she is amongst the shortest of the students here, standing at 4'11. Her eyes give off a lazy vibe, and her her upper lips are curled up slightly. She wears a black blazer with grey accents, and a grey blouse under a brown sweater vest. She has dark brown tights, a red pleated bubble skirt, and brown medieval boots with white ribbons around her ankles. There is an insignia of her previous high school on her blazer pocket. But the one thing that stood out of her is a black 'witch' hat, with a red strip.

"Magic?" Kaede asked the short girl, tilting her head a bit. The girl nodded with a small smirk.

"That's right, magic got here here and only magic can get us out, for I, the **Ultimate Mage**...Himiko Yumeno can do it," the named Himiko declared like an announcer would at an event.

Both the pianist and the detective-in-training tilted their heads at the young girl's behavior. Kaede's eyes widen when the thought popped in her head.

"Magic? Mage? Ah, I see, so you're a magician aren't you?" Kaede asked merrily.

"Magic...I-I'm sorry Himiko, but magic doesn't exist," Shuichi added. The young magician blushes in both anger and embarrassment. In a little fit, she stomped her foot in a cute, angry way with her face red with embarrassment.

"Stop, magic is real and I am no magician! My fellow mages...decided to disguise my magic powers with magic tricks..." the young magician muttered with a pout. Both students raised eyebrows at the last statement. Her powers are disguised as magic tricks? Don't she like doing those things?

"Don't you like doing magic tricks?" Kaede asked. Himiko's attitude did a complete 180 from the question and smiled.

"I do, especially in front of the kids, they love it. That's expected coming from a mage such as myself," Himiko replied with proudly. Her attitude changed from proud to one with laziness. "Anyways, I will solve this problem with my powers after I finish introducing myself to other students...what a pain, _nyeh_." After that, she walked away with a little hop.

"She is...unique," Kaede mused as they watched the young magician walked away. Shuichi nodded softly in agreement.

"Seems like our class is here too," the young detective remarked. They looked around and spotted more of their classmates interacting with their seniors or standing alone in their own thoughts about the situation.

"Whoa, you guys are here too?" a boy said with big, brown spiky hair. Obviously this student is their senior, but he looks waaay older than he is.

"Figures we came here by someone who wants us for some reason," a bulky, muscular looking student with long, strand-like hair with her arms crossed, looking at another brunette wearing a red jacket. Kaede and Shuichi looks at the students who aren't interacting with the others.

A girl with long, black drill pigtails is twirling her hair while looking at her nails, not caring of the situation. Another student, obviously looking arrogant is turning away from the multiple chatter and looked at the side with a nervous looking girl wearing glasses and a black sailor uniform looks at him in admiration from afar. The third one has lavender hair wearing studded gloves appears to be in thought of the predicament she's in.

Kaede looked around the gym for someone as Shuichi notices her searching.

"Hey, who are you searching for?" he asked.

Kaede smiled at him. "Searching for Leon and Ibuki, it's been so long since I've been able to perform with someone else."

"You just seemed to live and breathe music, don't you?" Shuichi mused with soft smile as he regarded the blonde's piano talent.

"That's right. I've been playing the piano since I was a baby, I practically lived and breathed through music. It's just...playing the piano and any kind of music brings me peace. I even carry a few of my personal favorite compositions. I-I want to show you them after we finish," the pianist admitted with a faint blush at her face.

Shuichi adjusted his cap nervously after her suggestion. "I-I love to hear you play, Kaede."

"Alrighty, it's a deal!" she exclaimed happily, before her attention is drifted to a girl approaching them.

The girl radiates a sort of hippie vibe. She has tan skin with blue ocean eyes. Her hair is platinum blonde and tied into two loosely ponytails. There are three dots around her belly button, either a piercing or a tattoo. She wears a frilly, white bikini top and a matching one under her blue skirt with white frills. She wears a yellow smock that reaches below her knees with loose sleeves. Around her waist is a pink, utility belt which holds paintbrushes and carving tools. Her smock has her previous high school insignia and black symbols on her shoulders. She wears a simple pair of white slip-ons with light grey soles. She wears a beaded bracelet on her left wrist and right ankle. Around her neck is a necklace with a seashell in the middle of it.

"Ho, it appears you are here in this school too. I pray that the great Atua can help us find a way out of here," the girl mused with a smile. Kaede and Shuichi raised their eyebrows at the mention of 'Atua'.

"Who is this 'Atua'?" Shuichi asked, clearly confused of the god's name. The girl nodded and clasped her hands.

"He is the great god of the island, for he speaks through me, Angie Yonaga, the **Ultimate Artist** ," the girl introduced herself.

"Nice to meet you, Angie. And you said you're an artist?" Kaede asked.

"Yep, I do all sorts of drawings, paintings, and sculptures. I do all kinds of art for Atua, for he also speaks through art," the artist said with her hands in a prayer manner. "Unfortunately, I must be off to carry on and meet other students who are lost. I pray to Atua that you have a good day and many more to come." After her short prayer, Angie walked away.

 _'Well, her belief to a god is...eccentric and unusual but she is friendly...I hope she's not a zealot,'_ Shuichi thought to himself. His thoughts are cut off when he saw a girl staring warily at him.

The girl has a fair skin tone, with green eyes and long black hair pulled into long pigtails. Her hair is placed by white ribbons, a large green bow with a white floral design and a purple headband, with a star-shaped ornament on the left side of her head. She has a blue sailor uniform that stops above her belly button, a frilly blue skirt, white socks with a blue strip at the end under the knee. She had a beauty mark under the left side of her mouth and a pink choker with a yellow bell.

"Um...hi? I'm Shuichi Saihara," he offered nervously. Kaede turned around and saw the strange girl staring at specifically Shuichi in a patronizing and suspicious manner.

"I know who you are, degenerate male. Standing beside a girl, are you trying to have pity or are you up to something else?" the girl asked accusingly. Shuichi's eyes widen at the accusations and Kaede's eyes narrowed slightly at the girl accusing her friend through such discrimination.

"N-n-n-no! I-I'm not using her or anything you said, s-she's just my friend," Shuichi stuttered, trying to defend himself from the hostile girl. The girl snorted in response.

"Of course you said that, what would I expect from a male," she remarked in a bitter tone. That made Kaede walked in front of Shuichi and stared at the girl with anger on her face.

"Hey, why won't you lay off that nonsense and back off? I don't appreciate you saying those things to my friend," Kaede said with a firm tone. Both students are taken aback of the pianist's actions. One, Shuichi is surprised that Kaede, a person he just met an hour ago defended him and befriended him. Two, the girl is taken aback from how the girl is defending a male! Is he worth defending, did he did something to make her act like this?

"W-well, I'm just warning him. Did he do something to make you defend him like this?" the girl asked with a slight surprise in her tone but kept her ground. Kaede's eyes narrowed more at her words, proving her distaste of the girl's behavior, she stepped towards the girl until they are face-to-face.

"He didn't do anything, first of all. Second of all, we just met and we are friends. Three, there's absolutely no reason for you act like this toward people, especially boys. And four, you better back off," Kaede said, her voice changing from annoyed to slight anger. That made the hostile girl backed off sweating a bit.

"I-I-I...well, it's just..." the girl stammered. Kaede pressed forward

"You know, maybe instead of hating boys for no reason, maybe you should give them a chance instead of being hostile and aggressive," Kaede added sternly. The face on the girl changed from aback to almost neutral, but both Kaede and Shuichi can see a hint of...sadness in her eyes.

*sighs* "It's just...never come across boys like Shuichi...almost impossible to trust. I'm sorry for being such a brute to him. I mean no harm, I thought he is another degenerate," the girl muttered. Kaede's eyes soften a bit after hearing the small confession coming from the girl.

The girl's face changed back to her energetic one and puts on her fighting stance. "Yet still, I'll be on guard in case other males decide to pull any funny tricks on girls. For I, Tenko Chabashira, the **Ultimate Aikido Master** makes sure of that! So you passed Shuichi...for now. And you, uhhh."

"Kaede Akamatsu, **Ultimate Pianist** ," the blonde introduced her name.

"Right, Kaede...I will keep what you said to mind. Now if you excuse me, I have other people to meet, hopefully I can come across my Master," the now named Tenko said. She kept her eye on the both of them, mainly on Shuichi with a less menacing glare before leaving.

 _'She can be bit of a problem around other boys. But nobody is born with that kind of hatred...something must've happened to her to make her have that biased point-of-view. *sighs* I hope she finds help of her overcome her hatred of men problem,'_ Kaede thought to herself. She turned around to Shuichi and smiled a bit. "You okay, Shuichi?"

Shuichi adjusted his cap. "Y-yeah, thanks for helping me," the boy thanked with a faint blush. The blonde smiled cheerefully.

"No problem. Come on, we have to carry on and meet the others, hopefully more friendly than Tenko," she said, holding her hand to Shuichi. The boy smiled softly at the gesture and nodded.

"Sure," the boy said as he grasped her hand. The two carry on to meet other students in the filled gym before they are approached by a boy-man, who wears a very strange attire.

The man has pale skin and has heterochromatic eyes, his left one grey and the right one red. He has a lightning scar on his left eye with a yellow orb earring on his right ear. He wears a long black jacket over his school uniform with white shirt with a strange purple cross painted on it. He wears two rings on his fingers and his left arm is bandage, probably from an injury. He wore matching pants with leather strapped boots. His most noticeable features is the purple scarf around his mouth and his black hair with white streaks combed into a soft antenna.

The man's strange appearance made the two nervous a bit. Steeling her nerves, Kaede walked up to greet him. Though before she introduced herself, the man halted her with his arm raised in a warning manner.

"Halt. Do not come any closer...if you value your life," he said with a dark tone, causing the cap wearing boy to flinch.

"...Why? You were coming towards us?" Kaede asked with a confused expression on her face of the man's attitude.

"Hmph, you speak even though I warned you. I'll give you points for your bravery," the mysterious man said in his dark voice but has a bit of drama in it.

"Nyahahahahaha! You've earned the right to know my name! For I am the one that will rain fire and brimstone on this puny planet! The **Ultimate Animal Breeder** , Gundham Tanaka will show no mercy!" the man named Tanaka boldly announced in a dramatic flair. At the end, he posed and out of his scarf, four adorable hamsters popped out and strike poses with Tanaka.

Shuichi's head tilted at Tanaka's eccentric behavior while Kaede's eyes glimmered at the hamsters that popped out. "Awww, look at the adorable hamsters! They look so cute~."

Tanaka stood back in shock of how this female addressed his hamsters in such a crude, carefree manner. "Y-you! How dare you address my Four Dark Devas of Destruction in such manner?! We will rule the world and plunge it in eternal darkness!" The Devas nodded and folded their arms with their master. Kaede scoffed at this.

"You're joking, right? You can't rule the world," the pianist sputtered.

"Foolish human! Doubting my powers, huh? My Four Dark Devas of Destruction are the very leaders of the Tanaka Kingdom! I have tamed every evil spirit and now they obey to my every command. Do not anger us...we will show you mercy if they allow it. Kahahahahahaha!" he laughed dramatically.

"They're...ADORABLE!" Kaede squealed as she petted one of the hamsters.

This caught Tanaka off-guard of the girl's reaction, as he coughed loudly. "They're not...adorable. Hmph, you've earned a little of my respect human, but be warned...do not underestimate the powers of Tanaka and his kingdom," he exclaimed as he turned around, leaving into the crowd.

Shuichi twitched at the man as he left. _'Well, there's strange and then there's...that guy.'_

Kaede pouted slightly. _"_ This isn't over yet, Gundham. We will meet again." She crossed her arms around her chest in a mock manner.

Right before they continue any further, they heard a loud, female voice shouted around the gym.

"HEY! EVERYBODY IS HERE, LET'S ALL INTRODUCE OURSELVES!" she boomed cheerfully. The pianist and detective-in-training looked at the source of the voice. It was the same tan-skinned girl wearing a red jacket, white tank top, blue short shorts, and red sneakers with a tear shaped bun. The chatter in the gym quieted down as they heard the suggestion, as some agreed, some muttered in annoyance, and some shrugged. Wouldn't kill them to introduce themselves to let everyone know who you are, right? Meanwhile, amongst the crowd, an average looking boy giggle softly wearing a large scruffy scarf and fedora at the opportunity.

 _'Yes! Thank you, Asahina! After everyone finished introducing themselves, I will show them my new friend! *giggles* I can't wait!'_ the boy mused giddily. The massive scarf around his neck shuffled in a way that is...agreeing to him?

Kaede looked at Shuichi and smiled. "Well, at least we get to know everyone instead of meeting people at random one by one, saves time."

Shuichi nodded at that. "Yeah, got that right."

* * *

 **9:00 a.m./ Day One**

 **First Floor**

 **Gym**

Makoto looked at Hina as she walked up to the podium in front of the gym as she introduced herself to the quieted crowd to get the introductions started. Aoi ran up to the podium in front of everyone and stood there, excited to greet everyone who she is and her talent, hoping it goes along well. Makoto stood there, using his best poker face to hide the giddiness and excitement swelling inside him.

"Hey there everybody, my name is Aoi Asahina, the **Ultimate Swimmer**! I love doughnuts and my friend over there is Sakura Ogami, the **Ultimate Martial Artist**! I hope we can get along well and help each other get out of here!" Aoi introduced herself happily and pointing at the bulky woman named Sakura in the middle. The bulky woman smiles at her friend of her introduction.

Sakura is by definition, extremely muscular, with the same muscular build to the other two bulky students here. She is easily amongst the tallest of the students, standing at 6'4. One can easily mistaken her for a man because of her large, muscular build. She has long white hair, pale blue eyes, and a scar on her face and right shoulder. She wears a white shirt with a sailor collar, short blue skirt, and red tie. The sleeves are ripped to make room for her large shoulders. Her shoes are grey and has her last name in kanji form.

"That's right. I'm Sakura Ogami the **Ultimate Martial Artist**. Like Hina said, I hope we can solve our problem together," her gruff voice said. After that, some students still look a bit taken back by how she is a girl from her ogre-ish appearance and ripped muscles.

Underneath the scarf, Makoto felt it shuffle more than it used to when he first arrived at the gym. He didn't know why but for some reason when Aoi mentions 'doughnuts', he noticed that the scarf had an oddly sweet smell. When he looked closer, he could see plenty of crumbs he assumed to be doughnuts.

And considering how he can only smell the smell and body odor of the scarf, Naegi arrived in one conclusion: _'Heh, who would say that Katakuri-san has a sweet tooth? I guess I know what will he eat as soon as possible. Poor Asahina, looks like you have some competition._

"Does anyone like to carry on?" she asked. After a few moments, a boy spoke up and everyone looked at the boy. The boy has an appearance of a punk rocker. He has scarlet, spiky hair that appears to be dyed, a goatee of the same color, and pale blue eyes. He wears a white blazer jacket with a raised collar, a white shirt with a red grunge skull design, dark blue jeans and white platform shoes with black soles. Around his neck is a padlocked chain necklace, two overlapping studded belts, rings, and a large safety pin on his lapel. His face is studded with piercings- his labret, tongue, and six on his right ear.

"What's up? Leon Kuwata, the **Ultimate Baseball Star** , nice to meet you. Though I want to change to be the **Ultimate Musician** , be a rock star," he introduced himself with a smirk. Before anyone else introduces themselves, a female voice popped up.

"Hey, there can't be two **Ultimate Musicians** , because that title belongs to Ibuki!" the voice shouted. Leon and the students turned and looked at the girl named Ibuki who challenged Leon by his dream to be a musician.

If Leon is trying to be a punk rocker, Ibuki is the definition of a punk rocker. She has multi-colored hair of black, pink, blue, and white with two black and white striped oni horns on her head. She has pale skin and pink eyes. She wears a sailor uniform with a black skirt and ripped thigh highs, the right one is pink and the left is blue. This girl has more piercings that'll make a wannabe punk rocker jealous. Both of her ears have six needle earrings and an earlobe gauge. She also has three piercings under the left side of her lip and black nail polish. She wears a necklace, a black scrunchy on her right arm, and a black and pink glove-like sleeve on her left upper arm with a silver bracelet and three rings on her left hand. Her white shoes have colored shoelaces, the right shoelaces are blue and the left pink.

Taking in the attention, Ibuki grinned and strike poses. "That's right, the one and only **Ultimate Musician** is none other than...give me an I! Give me a Bu! Give me a Ki! Give me a Mi! Give me an Oda! Ibuki Mioda is the true **Ultimate Musician**! Ibuki will rock your world like no other!" Ibuki proclaimed as she walked up to Leon, staring at him competitively. Leon was surprised at the girl's appearance but regained his confidence and smirked against the rocker.

"Oh, yeah? So what if I want to be a musician? Afraid of the...competition, Ibuki?" Leon asked with a challenging look on his face. Ibuki grinned wider at the challenge and walked closer until they are noses apart.

"Oh, really? Well then, we'll see about that, Leon Kuwata. Ibuki will show you why she is the true **Ultimate Musician!** " she exclaimed pridefully. The rest of the students sweat-drop at that little challenge and agreed to move along with the other introductions.

Aoi chuckled nervously after their butting of heads. "W-well, who's ready to go next?" After the question, the same fat boy that met Hajime and Chiaki cleared his throat.

"I...am Hifumi Yamada, the **Ultimate Fanfic Creator**. If you like any sort of fanfiction from other anime or manga series, shippings, or any fanart you like in a story, then I'm your guy. No other fanfic or art will ever surpass mine!" Hifumi introduced with a smug look on his hamster face. Next up, a man walks up with his hands in his pockets and everyone looked at him. His appearance tells he's a biker.

He, like Sakura, is amongst the tallest of the group, standing at 6'2. He has tan skin with a good muscular build underneath the long, high-collar, black overcoat (called a tokku-fuko, a Japanese biker coat) with a biker gang symbol on the bang and many dragon motifs. He wears white tank top and black baggy pants with a belt with the buckle in the shape of some kind of dragon/demon hybrid with white loafers. He has intense light purple eyes with a deep-ridged black line, making him look more intimidating. The most trait that stood out is his hairstyle, which is a black-punk perm with a tan pompadour like it came from the 60's.

"My name is Mondo Owada, nice to meet fucking you and whatnot. I'm the **Ultimate Biker** , and as long as you don't piss me off, we're cool," the biker said in a gruff tone. Some students are a little bit surprised at his language, the most who hate the foul language the most is the hall monitor.

"PROFANITY LIKE THAT WILL NOT BE TOLERATED! I WANT THESE INTRODUCTIONS TO BE CLEAN AND FILTERED, NOT TAINTED BY YOUR FOUL LANGUAGE!" Ishimaru shouted, pointing at the biker. This made Mondo angry that a poindexter is telling him-no, _ordering_ him to say and not say. Mondo scowled at the monitor and turned to glare at the monitor, who is not backing down from the glare one bit but intensified even more.

"And who says what I can say and cannot say?! I can say whatever the fuck I want to, asshole! Unless you want a serious ass-whooping, you better shut your mouth and get out of my face!" Mondo growled, marching to Ishimaru who stared at Mondo, the air turning thick with tension. If this continues, there'll be a fight and nobody wants to see any senseless violence. Just before a fight break outs, out of nowhere, an aura surrounds the entire gym, covering everybody in this feeling, even the stoic ones...in intense fear.

Mondo instantly shuts up and sweats when that aura was felt and disappeared in an instant almost. He backed off from Ishimaru, trying to find the source from the students, but he knows when some of the students look to be the fighting type, none of them can produce an aura _that_ deadly. (And when I say ominous, I mean ominous).

The entirety of the gym turns dead silent after that instant aura that surrounds them, blanketing them in this fear of like someone or _something_ who feels like they're being conquered by some terrifying emperor or king, or worse...a demon. Ishimaru shakes a bit when that aura danced around him, calming him down in a fearful manner. Everyone else either sweated, breathed heavily a bit, or nearly fainted and cried when that aura covered them for a split moment.

A robotic-looking boy tries to scan to find the source but finds nothing. How could someone can produce that much aura that monstrous and overpowering? How can anyone on the planet can produce that level of fear into the students, even to the ones that has a cool and calm nature. Speaking of which, the cool ones are sweating, even the lavender haired girl sweats when she felt that aura. The fighters tried to put up a stance but find themselves froze when that aura passed through them and vanished, as if even if they fight who or whatever did that, it wouldn't matter because they knew...they will be no match for it.

The only one that isn't fazed by the death aura was Makoto. He hides his face underneath the fedora to pretend he's affected by it, but why isn't he was touched by the aura. He looked down at the scarf, who was still for a moment before Mondo and Ishimaru were at it, but it like tensed up. Makoto is very thankful that he hadn't felt the aura. _'W-what in the heck was that? I didn't felt it but I could feel like a tiny amount of the phantom fear, like we're were all ants and a giant and monstrous dragon is looking down at us. I'm glad I didn't felt it but why would he spared me and not them? I'll find out what exactly was that he just did, if he can answer.'_

A thick silence continues to stretch after that deathly, ominous feeling of being looked down by an apex predator. The thick silence is cut thanks to the lavender haired girl who despite trying to keep her composure, still looks a bit shaken. Before saying anything, she took a deep breath and tries to sound smooth with some little hint of fear in it. "Whatever that was, certainly was not of this world. I hope that we won't feel that again or worse, meet who or whatever did that." She looks at the temperamental biker with a slightly cold look.

"Mondo, keep your temper in tone, not everything is won through fists." She turns her attention to Taka. "And Ishimaru, I know you respect the rules but there is something worth more than the rules, so don't be overzealous about it. Let's just finish our introductions so we can sleep it off. Name is Kyoko Kirigiri, and yes, I am the daughter of the headmaster, and no, I won't tell you what my talent is."

The mystery girl Kyoko has purple eyes and long lavender hair with a single braid tied with a black ribbon. She wears a dark purple high-collared jacket with a zipped up white blouse with a brown tie with a bird symbol on it. She wears a short, black skirt with studded gloves, heeled, knee-high boots with equally long purple socks.

Next, another pale skinned girl walks up closing her eyes in an elegant manner. When she opened them, she has ruby red eyes. She has long black hair in two large drill pigtails with a white lace bonnet on her head and she has black nails. She wears a black Gothic lolita with a red tie with a butterfly and skull design and a white ribbon on the collar area with the tie.. She has gold earrings with a cross on them. Her black skirt is layered with white laces between each layer with long, black laced stockings with a white lace on top and heeled red mary-janes.

The girl chuckles in a polite manner before speaking. "Pleasure to meet your acquaintances, fellow students. My name is Celestia Ludenburg and my talent is the **Ultimate Gambler**. I hope we can get along in a civilized manner." The students looked on how elegantly and sophisticated she spoke, like she's in a long line of a very powerful family.

After her introduction, a tall boy walked with an air of royalty and arrogance to greet himself. The boy stood at 6'1, has dirty blonde hair, icy blue eyes with eyelashes with rectangular framed glasses. He wears a black suit, white dress shirt with a green crossover tie, black dress shoes and a pin of his previous high school on the breast pocket. He looked at the students with a condescending look.

"Even though I find this repugnant, all of you should know by now that I am the heir of the Togami Corporation and the **Ultimate Heir** , Byakuya Togami. You should all remember that." Some students were surprised that someone from the **Togami** Corporation, _the Togami Corporation_ is here in this place. Some are scowling or frowning at the heir's haughty attitude towards everyone. Meanwhile in the crowd, a girl wearing circular glasses gazed at the heir not with surprise, distaste, or disapproval, but one with admiration. She tries to hide a giggle when she looks at the blonde haired boy.

Makoto looked at the tall blonde boy with both dissatisfaction and a little surprise. _'I can tell he's going to be a major problem when it comes to socializing, but I can't help but feel a bit surprised that someone from a massive conglomerate such as the Togami Corporation is in here of all places. He's going to be very difficult to get along.'_ Makoto mused to himself with a small frown. Sayaka walks up beside Makoto so she could introduce herself to everyone.

"Hi, my name is Sayaka Maizono, the **Ultimate Pop Sensation** , nice to meet you all," she said happily. Makoto's frown turned to a smile with a faint blush after Sayaka introduced herself. The sour mood turned a little positive after Sayaka's told everyone her name and talent, much needed after Togami's blunt and prideful introduction.

The white suit wearing hall monitor nodded and bowed to everyone in his normal tone. "Greetings fellow students, my name is Kiyotaka Ishimaru, the **Ultimate Hall Monitor** and my job is to make sure everyone stays motivated, keep a positive attitude, and follow the rules safely."

A tall man walks up rubbing the back of his and introduced himself in a lazily and surfer-like tone. "Sup everyone? I guess it's my turn now, huh? Well, my name is Yasuhiro Hagakure the **Ultimate Clairvoyant** , or somewhere along those lines. Anyways, you can call me 'Hiro' if you like." Hiro stood at a perfect 6. He has long dreadlocks that jutted out in large points, a stubble, and brown eyes. He wears three shirts: a dark green jacket he wears like a cape, a white open dress shirt, and a yellow short sleeved shirt. He wears a brown haramaki with a yellow rope as belt for his brown baggy pants that are rolled up at the ankles and sandals. On his left wrist is a beaded bracelet with his former high school logo on each bead. Holding in his right hand is a crystal ball of some sort, that goes with his clairvoyant theme.

A small girl walked up timidly and raised her hand to get their attention. She flinched a bit after she saw the eyes looking at her. Taking a deep breath, she spoke with a soft voice. "I-I-I am C-Chihiro Fujisaki...and my talent is the **Ultimate Programmer** , I'm sorry..." she said meekly. The girl has a small doll-like stature, at 4'11 for her height. She has short, light brown hair and hazel eyes. She wears a winter-set uniform with a dark green jacket, a white dress shirt with a large Peter Pan collar secured with a white ribbon, a box-pleated, brown skirt reaching to her thighs, knee-high black socks and white ribbon mary-janes.

Next, a girl poked her fingers together and looked down at the ground when she's ready to introduce herself. She has long, dark purple hair tied to two braids behind her. She has grey eyes and wide-rimmed glasses, and on the left side of her chin is a mole. She wears the standard school uniform that is dark purple in color with a longer skirt than usual with white socks and brown loafers. She notices the look of everyone when they turned to her and she jumped a bit like Chihiro but unlike Chihiro where she was timid, this girl is gloomy. Her appearance and aura tells she is pessimistic.

"Not like you would care but...I am the **Ultimate Writer** , Toko Fukawa...not like it matters," the writer spoke, muttering the last sentence. Makoto took a quick yet observant notice of how every time Toko fidgets from some of the stares, she would take a quick glance at Togami and her eyes would change from gloomy to ecstatic and happy.

Lastly, a girl that is completely opposite of Toko's behavior popped up and raised a peace sign. She has long blonde hair typed with pigtails with bunny hairclips and blue eyes. She wears a black cardigan and white dress shirt, with all three buttons undone exposing her black bra with red polka dots. She wears a pleated, dangerously short miniskirt, mid-sized black boots with platform heels and red lace. Her cardigan has her previous high school emblems on them. Her nails are painted red.

"Yooooo, what's up? Name's Junko Enoshima, the **Ultimate Fashionista**! If you need a change of clothes, hairstyle, manicure, or pedicure, then I'm your girl for the job!" the blonde girl spoke in a cheerful, valley-like voice. Naegi raised an eyebrow at Junko's attitude. Sure, she's really chatty and bubbly but he couldn't help but think if that is just for show. Eh, maybe he shouldn't overthink it too much.

Aoi looked at the fashionista and smiled brightly. "It seems that's almost everybody and-oh, Naegi-kun! You're the only one left, introduce yourself, silly." Makoto turned his head when Aoi mentioned he didn't told everyone his name and smiled nervously when the attention is drawn to him.

"H-hi everyone, I'm Makoto Naegi, and I'm the **Ultimate Lucky Student** , and yes...this scarf and fedora are my pop's." Naegi chuckled nervously while adjusted the scarf so he can speak more clearly. Some students raised their eyebrows, chuckled, or murmured when they saw that massive, scraggly, scruffy scarf engulfing his shoulders.

 _'Yes, my class is finished with their introductions! Only two more to go and I will show everybody my new friend! Hehehe, this is gonna be hilarious~'_ the luckster snickered to himself. Aoi looked around the gym and nodded happily.

"And that's everybody from Class 78, guys. Nice to meet you all! So...which class decides to go next?" the bubbly swimmer asked excitedly.

 _ **End of chapter**_

* * *

 _ **A/N: Hey guys and gals! First of all, I really want to apologize for my long absence and lack of updates. Back to college, some family drama, and whatnot, held me back a bit. Oh, and those greedy employees of Microsoft wanted me to pay another yearly payment for Microsoft Word. Whatever happened to having Word for life? Ahh, the power of greed...how I hate you. Anyways, enough of that. This chapter is another character introduction with a hint of fleshing them out through the interactions. Yeah, I decided to make Aoi introduce everyone instead of random encounters one by one, to speed this up a bit so everybody will meet and read our main boi Kat comes in the scene. Will he show himself next chapter? How will they react when they see Dogtooth in the scene.**_

 _ **Thank you so much for the follows and favorites! As always, LIKE, FOLLOW, FAVORITE, AND REVIEW. NO FLAMES PLEASE!**_

 _ **SEE YOU NEXT CHAPTER ON THE ULTIMATE BIG BROTHER!**_

 **beta-readers**

 **King Carlos**

 **Shadow of Life**


	5. Chapter 4: Introductions pt 4

**Chapter 4: Introductions pt. 4**

"Hello"-speech

 _'Hello'-_ thoughts

*groans*-onomatopoeia

 **Ultimate ?: title**

* * *

 **Day One**

 **First Floor**

 **Gym**

 **9:45 a.m.**

"And that's everybody from Class 78! Nice to meet you all! So, which class decides to go next?" Aoi asked bubbly. After Class 78-B introduced themselves to the other two classes, Hajime walked up to grab everyone's attention for introductions.

"Hey, name is Hajime Hinata...and I don't know what my talent is yet, hopefully I will find it some day." the ahoge boy said to himself, slightly embarrassed of having no talent but brushed it off and figure it out eventually. The gamer girl besides Hajime took little notice of the crowd and focuses more on her game than socializing. Hajime poked her shoulder grabbing her attention, the gamer gave him a cute pout before waving at the students in a lazy way.

"Name is Chiaki Nanami and I am the **Ultimate Gamer** , I guess...*yawns*." the sleepy gamer yawned softly but enough so everybody can hear. Some students raised their eyebrows a bit of her laziness and her intent focus on her handheld game.

Next after the game are two students, a boy and girl and their faces carried seriousness, one look of annoyance and the other a blank look. The boy has a short stature, barely above 5 ft. The boy's face looks extremely youthful, almost to a baby, but his expression takes out the cute factor and his aggressive looking demeanor is meant to assert his gangster look. He has gold eyes, freckles, a mole on the left side of his chin, and blushes on his cheeks. He has short, dirty blonde hair with distinct curved lines cut into both sides of his head. He wears a Yakuza gangster suit: a black two piece suit with an animal skull emblem on the tie and the insignia of the gang he's in on left lapel with black dress shoes with platform heels.

Beside the gangster boy is a girl that is taller than him, around an average 5'7. She has red eyes, wears rimmed glasses and has a stern look on her face. She wears a black and dark turquoise sailor uniform with a red tie, same color skirt with black leggings and white loafers. She has silver hair tied to braided pigtails with red ribbons on each. Wrapped on her back is some kind of black cover, definitely carrying a sword in it.

The baby-faced gangster scoffed before introducing begrudgingly. "The name is Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu, the **Ultimate Yakuza**. Best not to fucking get in my way or else I have no qualms of killing you, and yes, you've heard right. I am the leader of the Kuzuryu Clan and I'm not interested of becoming friends with any of you. Just get out of way and not annoy me and we'll be cool." He has the same attitude like Mondo, but on the more extreme side of aggressiveness. While Fuyuhiko is more hot-headed, the girl on the left is more temperamental and cool-headed.

"Peko Pekoyama, I am the **Ultimate Swordswoman**." the silver headed girl introduced curtly. Some students sweatdrop at their attitude and how they'll be amongst the hardest people to get along, besides the Togami heir, the lavender detective, and the gambler.

The girl that walks up carries a completely different vibe from the two gang members. While they carry seriousness and slightly hostility, she carries sweetness and warmheartedness. The girl also has an air of royalty but not in the arrogant way Byakuya carried. She stands around the same height at Peko, just by one inch, a good 5'6. She has long light blonde hair, blue eyes, and a kind smile on her face. She wears a very dark green ribbon on her hair with diamonds encrusted on it. She wears a green and white dress with a large red ribbon with a blue and silver jewel on it. She has a bracelet on her left wrist, black and grey leggings and red mary-janes.

The girl gave short yet polite bow before saying her name. "Greetings and salutations, fellow students. I am Sonia Nevermind, and my title is the **Ultimate Princess** of my home country Novoselic. Nice to meet you all." The young princess's attitude lighten the room a bit after Fuyuhiko and Peko's rough introduction. One person looked at Sonia with a blush on his face as he is admired and awed by her appearance and the way she carried herself. He silently giggles to himself from the puppy love he had for Sonia, hopefully, just hopefully...she will accept him.

The young boy is an inch short than Sonia. He has hot pink hair which looks unkempt, not as bad as Hiro's. He has sharp eyes and shark-like teeth making his grin more intimidating. He has pink eyes and two earrings, one a plus and the other a minus. Going with the mechanic theme, he wears a bright yellow jumper with brown stripes and pink markings down to the ankles. He wears a grey beanie over the unkempt hair. He continues to stare at the princess while everyone were confused by his stare at Sonia. Sonia turned around and noticed the pink haired mechanic and smiled kindly at him.

"Hey there, what's your name?" Sonia asked politely. The mechanic giggled when she noticed him before noticing the stares the students are giving him of his almost stalker like attitude to the princess. He chuckled nervously before clearing his throat to snap out of his stupor.

"Sorry sorry, the name is Soda Kazuichi and as you probably guess of my clothing, I am the **Ultimate Mechanic**. If you need anything to be fixed or built, then I'm your guy for the job." the mechanic said while pointing to himself.

Naegi looked and saw some of his senpais and thought about his opinions of them. _'I've already met Hajime and Chiaki, so I'm sure they'll be nice to get along, if Hajime doesn't let the talent thing block his interactions.'_ He turned his attention to the gangster and his bodyguard. _'Those two will be difficult to get along, either Kuzuryu-senpai's temper or Peko-senpai's cold, detached attitude will be hard to move around, but as long as I tred carefully, we'll be cool.'_ Makoto smiled at Sonia and the lovestruck mechanic. _'Sonia definitely has royalty but I'm glad she's not another arrogant heir like Byakuya or Celestia. I bet she'll be excited from the simplest of things, like bathrooms or trends. Soda looks like he can get along well...if he can focus other than going googly-eyes over Sonia. I wonder how the other senpais are?'_

His thoughts of the senior class are broken when out of nowhere, a loud, grumbling, and guttural growling erupted in the gym. The atmosphere dropped almost instantly, some students are even more wary after that intense, deathly aura that passed by nearly an hour ago. The growl almost made the gym shake by its intensity. Makoto tried to withstand his ground and not to fall over after the rumbling. The crowd darted their eyes, trying to find the source of the growl, some put up a fighting stance, this time with a little more confidence than aura that made them froze.

After a few seconds, the growling stopped. Makoto looked at the scarf wondering if the growl came from it but strangely, the scarf didn't stiffed or moved. The only thing it did is a slight shuffle, but anything else, nothing out of the ordinary. Makoto sweated if the growl came from something in the gym, probably some giant monster or some mechanical beast trying to eat them. The silence is broken by Fuyuhiko looking around with a nervous look and Peko holding her sword bag, ready to draw it out.

"W-what in the fuck was that?! Was it some kind of beast or something?" Fuyuhiko cursed, trying to find where the growl came from. Thankfully, his and everybody's question was answered by a gruff voice speaking out normally.

"Sorry, the only thing beastly of that growl was from her." Everybody turned around and looked at possibly the tallest student in the gym holding a girl who is drooling at the mouth.

The man is of one can say, jacked. He is definitely the strongest out of everybody, including the fighters. He stands at 6'4, with spiked black hair, a beard, and intense blue eyes. He has two scars running down to his eyes, making him look more intense. He wears a black gakuran jacket with gold buttons, blue tracksuit pants and sandals. Around his neck are large chains with a whistle hanging in the middle. At the belt, he has a towel hanging behind him. The man shook his head at the girl in his hand.

The girl he's holding in his hand has the same skin tone as Aoi. She has grey eyes and unkempt chestnut-brown hair. She wears a simple white dress shirt with some buttons undone exposing her large cleavage and some buttons undone at the bottom around the belly area. She wears a red miniskirt and white loafers with no socks on. On her face is a dopey smile with a fountain of drool running from her mouth.

"When she's hungry, her stomach will growl like that, please excuse the growl and her." the man apologized. Some of the students sighed in relief of the answer, glad that it wasn't the same thing of where the aura was, some sweatdrop at it, some scoffed in annoyance, and some chuckled nervously. The drooling girl grinned wider as her stomach grumbled more relaxed.

"Mmmmmmeeeaaaat..." the girl droned out dreamily. Makoto raised his eyebrow at her request for food, who in here is a chef who can whip up some food in a-

"Coming right up!" another boy chirped out. Instantly, a large leg of steaming meat was thrown to the girl's direction and was caught in her mouth. Instantly, the girl's face shifted to excitement and ecstasy. She jumped out of the man's hand and did some backflips in the air while performing somersaults while gnawing on the juicy meat. She landed perfectly on her feet while munching on the meat hungrily. She hummed happily as she chewed and swallowed and savored the succulent meat. She turns to whoever threw that meat and gave him a thumbs up.

"Hey, thanks Teru!" she thanked. If one could describe the expression on everyone's face of what they just seen, it'll be flabbergasted. They just heard a growl that sounded like it came from a lion, turned out to be a girl's stomach rumbling, and out of nowhere, a boy threw a fresh leg of meat into the girls mouth and her hunger is satisfied.

"Anything I can do, madam~" the boy who is named Teru replied with an accent at the end. The girl chewed on the meat savored the flavor before turning her attention to the stupefied crowd. She waved at them with her other hand.

"My bad everyone. The name is Akane Owari and I am the **Ultimate Gymnast** , as you can tell from my awesome backflips. I love to eat and eating makes my body move." the gymnast introduced herself, continuing to munch on the leg of meat.

"And I am none other than Teruteru Hanamura...and you can call me the **Ultimate Chef**." the fully named Teruteru added in, doing a bow. The crowd looked down a bit and saw the boy.

Teruteru has a short, portly stature. Like Sakura, Akane, Mondo, and Hiro, he has tan skin. His black hair is in the same pompadour style as Mondo but his is more groomed and combed. He is amongst the shortest of the crowd, barely above 4'. He has a plump face and body with his eyes closed. He wears the typical chef's uniform: a white chef's shirt with a red apron tied to a bow tie with an E in a circle, a red undershirt, and a red scarf. He has three stars on the right side of the apron. He has black pants and black and white shoes.

"And likewise...if you like any kind of food...breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert...then I am your man with the plan~" Teruteru said with a sly smirk as he pulled out a comb and did his pompadour. He winked at Akane who smiled back at him. Some students groaned at his behavior, especially the girls who are less than pleased of his attitude. Makoto can make out a few whispers that hardly anyone can hear that aren't so friendly.

"What a pervert." a very young girl sneered.

"Hey, that's who he is...I guess." a mature girl replied hesitantly.

"Ugh...as expected from a degenerate." another girl voiced out venomously.

The whispered comments were cut off by the muscular man squatting down and for some odd reason...there's...electricity? Blue electric sparks are coming from his eyes?

"And lastly...I AM NEKOMARU NIDAI, THE **ULTIMATE TEAM MANAGER!** I TRAIN AND MOTIVATE MY STUDENTS BEYOND THEIR LIMITS BECAUSE THAT'S A MAN THING TO DO!" the giant coach bellowed, guffawing at the end. Akane smirked at the man while everyone else either sweatdrop, taken back, or surprised at the man's boisterous attitude.

 _'I can say, he has a LOT of spirit. Akane-senpai looks like she can pack a wallop and can give Nidai-senpai a run for his money and Hanamura-senpai...well, let's just say he and Yamada-san can get along quite well.'_ the scarf wearing boy mused at the three seniors.

Aoi blinked owlishly at the bizarre introduction and the bold proclamation but she shook her head, she knows everyone here has a zany and unique personality, so she can't complain. She turned to look at the remainder of the senior class. "Anyone else like to go next?" she asked.

A girl whimpered in the crowd and raised her hand shakily. The girl definitely has the look, posture, and attitude of fragility. The girl has peach skin, with blushes on her cheeks, greyish-purple eyes, a mole under her left eye, and a cute heart shaped face. She has long, choppy, uneven, back-length purple hair. She wears a pink collared shirt with puffed sleeves, an apron with a red perpendicular line on the left chest, a short pale blue pleated skirt with white socks and nurse shoes. She has bandages wrapped around her left leg and left forearm to the wrist.

The girl stammered and stuttered, trying to introduce herself. The girl bit her lip nervously before managing to utter her name and talent. "I-I-I-I-I'm sorry, m-my name is M-Mikan Tsumiki and...uhmmm, I'm the **U-U-Ultimate Nurse** , may-may I ask permission to remember your names?" she squeaked, shaking like a leaf under the gazes of the students.

' _I can tell she's a very nice person to be friends with, but I know she went through a lot of hard times that made her act like that. I hope I can help her grow confidence down the line'._ Naegi thought, looking at the shy nurse with sympathy.

"Ugh, you don't have to tell people like that you klutz?" the same young girl mocked.

"Come on, Hiyoko, she tried to introduce herself, it's best to let the rest know who we are." the mature girl reassured. The young girl scoffed but huffed in agreement. The students turned and look at the girl duo who walked up beside the timid nurse.

The younger girl is around 4'11 to 5'1. She has orange eyes and blushes on her cheeks. She has long blonde hair tied to twin hair ties with green ribbons with cat faces on them. She wears a traditional orange Japanese kimono with a white floral pattern and a green obi sash tied with a bow at the back with the traditional Japanese sandals and socks. The older girl behind the kimono wearing girl has olive green eyes, freckles, and dark red hair in a bob. She wears an olive green school jumper with a plaid white and orange tie, dark green knee socks and forest green shoes. Around her neck and hanging at the center is a camera.

"Hey everyone, my name is Mahiru Koizumi and she is Hiyoko Saioniji. I am the **Ultimate Photographer**." The now named Mahiru introduced. The girl named Hiyoko puffed her cheeks before introducing.

"And I am the **Ultimate Traditional Dancer**." Hiyoko added with the same annoyed look. Makoto sweat drop at the dancer's rude behavior and Mahiru's leniency of it.

 _'I know those two will be hard to get along, especially Hiyoko-senpai with her attitude. I don't like bullies and how she bullies Tsumiki-senpai and gets away with it, but I'm sure there's a reason behind it. I hope she'll stop bullying and Koizumi-senpai of being carefree about it.'_ Makoto thought, looking at the two girls with a little skepticism. Makoto's train of thought has been broken when he saw what it seems...another Togami?!

This Togami looks exactly like Byakuya from the face, hair, clothes, and attitude. The only two differences between Byakuya and this Togami clone is his clothes which are white and he's very heavyset, standing at the same 6'2 height as Byakuya. This Togami lookalike confuses everyone, making them think he is Byakuya's twin brother or something, but Byakuya stares at the fat Togami with contempt and disgust. Togami stares back at Byakuya with a smug look at his face.

"And as you all should know, I am Byakuya Togami the **Ultimate Heir,** and I am the _true_ heir to the Togami Corporation. That plebeian over there is nothing but an offensive impersonation of me that is simply incapable of understanding how far he is to true greatness like mine." Togami stated with the same haughty tone like Byakuya while staring at the black clothed heir with an arrogant stare. Byakuya seethed at that statement, how dare that plankton impersonate him and try to take his rightful place as the heir of the great Togami Family.

"How dare you offend my name like that, you disrespectful lowlife. The rest of you don't listen to that impostor, for _I_ am the true Byakuya Togami." Byakuya hissed, glaring at 'Togami'. Togami scoffed at the hateful glare and pushed his glasses in place.

"Hmph, as much as I love meddling with you plebeians, I'm afraid we'll be wasting time if we continue this whole spat back and forth. So let's get back to everyone continuing introducing themselves and their talents, if we may, Asahina-san." Togami said, stopping this clash of pride from escalating. Byakuya crossed his arms and sighed, trying to calm himself down from the offensive impostor.

Aoi blinked at that little argument but like 'Togami' said, we must continue. "Anyways, anyone in that class left to speak?" she queried, continuing the intros one by one. After that, a man with balck and white hair in an antenna wearing a scarf and strange clothes makes a dynamic pose. The man chuckled with his eyes closed before taking a deep breath.

"Only a few mortals have the honor of knowing my name. For I am the overlord of the Underworld, for I am the king of the Tanaka Kingdom, and for I will be the ruler of your pathetic world!" The man strike poses as the wind from somewhere starts to blow, making his scarf and black coat fly in the wind dramatically. "For you are standing in the presence of the king of the Tanaka Kingdom, Gundham Tanaka, the **Ultimate Animal Breeder** , bow before me!" The now titled Gundham Tanaka announced dramatically while holding a pose. And popping out from his scarf and his hair are four cute, adorable hamsters who like their caretaker strike poses.

If this is an anime, most of the students would face fall at that. Utter confusion would be perfect to describe everyone's feeling after Tanaka's 'eccentric' introduction, and some of the girls gushed at the sight of Tanaka's hamsters. Speaking of which, two blonde girls walked up to Tanaka and petted the hamsters and awwwed and gushed. This caught Tanaka off-guard from their unexpected reaction, seeing and remembering the same blonde girl who challenged him. Makoto sweatdrop at his senior's weird behavior.

 _'Wow, there's strange and then there's...him. Well, I couldn't judge him. Everyone here has their quirk and identities, and his is more...eccentric?'_ Makoto queried while smiling nervously from that overly dramatic intro.

"S-stop this degradation at once! My Four Devas of Destruction will not be tainted by your human cultures and their love for cute things!" Tanaka bellowed as his hamsters are getting petted by Kaede and Sonia.

"I love these little guys, they're sooooo cuuuutteeee~" Kaede gushed, petting one of them. Sonia has sparkles in her eyes as she heard what hamsters they are.

"Wait, you said these are the Four Dark Devas of Destruction?" Sonia asked curiously. Tanaka humphed in response, folding his arms and smiling proudly.

"Exactly, woman. To them, you are the lowest level of demons, not even worth being in their presence. But since you're still alive after touching them, you have ascended to a level above the demon, only a little." Tanaka replied, noting Sonia's bravery of being near of his hamsters. Sonia's nose blew steam and her eyes glimmered in excitement.

"Really? Then how can I reach a level that'll be worthy for them? I need to know!" Sonia asked excitedly. Gundham looked at the princess before smiling.

"Then join me on my journey as we will be diving into the depths of the Dark Realm for you to reach the highest level that are worthy to be with my Four Devas of Destruction. Prepare yourself, mortal!" Tanaka proclaimed before putting on a pose with Sonia hopping on her heels in giddiness for her initiation. Everyone's faces turned to one of confusion as they saw and heard a royal princess begging to go along with Tanaka's fantasy. Meanwhile in the crowd, a certain pink haired mechanic looks at the princess with little sadness and the weird breeder in slight jealousy.

"Aaaaaaaaaaand you probably know, that Ibuki is Ibuki Mioda, the one and _only_ **Ultimate Musician** , rocking your world like no other!" the black, white, and pink haired girl proclaimed again while emphasizing her talent towards a specific red-headed baseball player. Leon only tch'ed and rolled his eyes at the 'subtlety' of her talent. Ibuki took notice and only made a sly smirk.

"And last and certainly the least out of everyone here, I go by Nagito Komaeda, and like Mr. Naegi-san, I am too an **Ultimate Lucky Student**. Such a shame such a wonderful talent is wasted upon me. If we ever come across in a situation where is seems all hope is loss, I am more than honored than to be the stepping stone for hope to triumph." Nagito mused happily. Everyone looked at the boy with mixed reactions. Some raised their eyebrows at his speech, some tilted their head at his behavior, and some sweat a bit from his perspective.

 _'Nagito-senpai's philosophy is agreeable, but yet...he views himself as nothing. His stilted viewpoint is odd to say the least, but then again, everyone has a quirky personality and his is up there.'_ Makoto wondered to himself about the pessimistic senior.

"And that Miss. Asahina is the entirety of Class 77-B, I hope we can all become one big union that'll help each other to get out of the predicament we found ourselves in. Pleasure to meet you all." Nagito finishes, gesturing his class to everyone. The bubbly swimmer blinked owlishly for a bit from Nagito's speech but continues the introductions.

"Thanks, Komaeda-senpai! It's such an honor to meet you, seniors! I'm glad that we are getting along so far, and I can't wait for us to make friends along the way. Last class to go, you guys are up!" Aoi cheered. As the last class starts to introduce to the seniors, a certain scarf wearing boy snickered, muffled by the scarf.

 _'Yessss~! Finally, one last class to go! Just need for them to finish getting them acquainting and I will show everyone my new friend! I'm so excited, I can't wait to see their faces!'_ Makoto thrilled ecstatically. The scarf around his shoulders ruffled in some form of agreement, knowing the thoughts that are going through the boy's head.

* * *

Kaede walked up with Shuichi with a warm smile in front of the students to start the introductions for their class. "Hi, everybody! My name is Kaede Akamatsu and I am the **Ultimate Pianist**! I love music and playing piano compositions and arrangements, very nice to meet you all!" Kaede nudged at Shuichi's hip teasingly. "Come on, Shuichi, your turn."

Shuichi straightened his cap and cleared his throat but nervousness is still present in his voice, albeit slightly. "Hey, the name is Shuichi Saihara and my talent is being the **Ultimate Detective** , even though I don't feel like one." he said, muttering the last part. His talent grabbed the attention of a familiar lavender haired girl who looked at the boy through the crowd with raised eyebrows that piqued interest.

 _'Hmm, a detective I see. I can tell he's a beginner, nice to have a detective in the midst, especially for whatever is about to go down later on in the place. He has potential, lots of it, of becoming a great detective, maybe...even better."_ Kyoko mused to herself while she looked at the black haired boy.

Walking next to the duo is the same duo that met Kaede and Shuichi earlier: the boy with the spiky black hair with a purple tint with a carefree and cool attitude and the complete opposite: a red eyed girl with a cold attitude that'll make Peko blush. The boy waved at the crowd while the girl glared.

"'Sup peeps, my name is Kaito Momota and you can call me the **Ultimate Astrounaut**. And my goal someday is to go into outer space and explore the cosmos and galaxies beyond our universe!" Kaito said. While everyone likes Kaito's attitude, they are wary of the other girl's stare at them. Some sweat a bit from her glare, some cower from it. The girl continue her silent stare until Kaito clasped her shoulder, snapping out of her death glare stupor.

"Hey, Maki Roll, there's no need to stare at these folks. Come on, tell them who you are." Kaito suggested, not at the least affected by the now named Maki's aura. Maki turned away to avoid everyone looking at the faint blush on her cheeks before her deathly serious face turns to her neutral, which is basically the same.

"I am Maki Harukawa, and I am the **Ultimate Child Caregiver**. And no, I don't like children but they grew an attachment to me and I have to take watch over them." Maki introduced and mentioning the last part coldly.

"Oh come on, Maki Roll! Stop being so serious and lighten up a bit. Anyways, awesome to meet you, seniors." Kaito remarked and waved at the crowd to put them at ease from Maki. Maki sighed softly before dropping her deathly serious face. Makoto looked at the duo and began his train of thought.

 _'Kaito is a good guy that we can get along easily, his love for outer space and astrology made him a great and energetic guy. But Maki however, I know she'll be difficult to get along, I can't help but have a very slight feeling she's holding off more than she told us about her. But I shouldn't dwell on that, I rather stay alive than to receive her death glares.'_ Makoto mused, nervous when it comes to Maki and her cold personality.

"Hey, hold the fuck on, you guys are forgetting the most important person in this gym!" a voice called out. Everybody turned their heads and found the source of the voice belonged to a tall, busty girl. The girl has strawberry blonde hair with two ahoges, with icy blue eyes with the irises looking almost mechanical like. She wears a modified pink sailor uniform with a blue bow tie, with the collar exposing her bountiful cleavage. She wears black, studded, fingerless gloves with a pair of goggles on her head. She has brown studded straps wrapped around her waist, wears knee-high socks and high-heeled boots with buckles on them. On her thighs are straps with gold rings on them.

The girl who took a moment to drink up the attention grinned manically and begins to laugh with spit coming out. "Yeeah, that's right fuckers. You guys are gazing at the great, the one and only, Miu Iruma, the only **Ultimate Inventor** in here! And a sexy one I say so myself." She pointed at her finger at the crowd, but by the looks of it, she's pointing at someone in the crowd.

"Unlike that sharp-toothed wannabe inventor, I am the only one who is worthy of such a talent of building awesome inventions!" Miu boldly stated, singling out Soda, who was caught off guard but began to stand his ground.

"Hey now, you're not the only one who can call yourself an inventor, lady!" Soda retorted. Alongside with Soda, a certain hall monitor marched up and pointed at the shocked Miu, who didn't expected anyone to retort.

"I DON'T TOLERATE SUCH VULGAR LANGUAGE, MISS IRUMA. PLEASE CEASE THE UNNECESSARY LANGUAGE!" Ishimaru shouted. Miu stood back from the two who retorted after her words but regained her ground and smirked back

"Don't get your panties in twists, black pubes. I'm just fucking with you bitches and pimps, lucky you're worthy of standing in front of the great Miu or else I would've-!" Miu smirked proudly before being cut off. Ishimaru's face furrowed further and pointed at Miu's face and shouted with more intensity.

"I WOULD APPRECIATE IF YOU CUT OFF THE INSULTS AND THE DEROGATORY LANGUAGE, MISS IRUMA! I TOLD YOU ALREADY, I DO NOT ACCEPT FOUL LANGUAGE!" he bellowed. Miu was shocked from Ishimaru's forwardness and boldness against her, and in the flip of a switch, she started to sniffle.

The sudden change caught everyone by surprise, including Ishimaru and Soda, who the latter backed away from the sniffling girl. Miu began to tear up and cowers a bit from Ishimaru. She wiped her tears as she sweated from Ishimaru's words.

"I-I-I'm sorry...please forgive me. I-I didn't mean to make you be angry at me...I'm so sorry..." Miu cried. That made everyone give Soda and Ishimaru the stink eye, not pleased that they made a someone cry over hurt feelings and stupid, uptight rules. Mondo walked up to the two cracking his knuckles as he glared at the two boys in anger.

"So you two assholes love to make girls cry, huh? How would you love if I cave your faces in?" Mondo growled, marching to the duo. Fortunately, he is held back by Sakura, who is far stronger than the biker and held him from pulling a stunt.

"Hold in your anger, Owada. No need to pull such violence, but I agree that those two did to Iruma-san was dishonorable and unnecessary." Sakura stated, looking at the two boys in disappointment. Soda and Ishimaru sweated a bit from the glares and tried their best to calm Miu down, who is trying her best not to cry.

"Wow, shark tooth. You really are a punk, aren't you?" Hiyoko sneered.

"Shame, making her cry like that over some dumb rules that only he gives a shit about, such an uptight asshole would've been eaten by my family long ago." Fuyuhiko growled.

"H-hey now, my bad. I didn't mean to shout at you like that." Soda apologized frantically.

"I-I deeply apologize for my behavior at you, Iruma-san. I never mean to hurt you like that." Ishimaru added. Miu peered at the two through her arms.

"Y-you mean it? Y-you're not mad at me?" Miu whimpered.

"I'm not. We're really sorry for hurting your feelings like that. I'll let it slide, but please, I never mean to hurt your feelings." Ishimaru replied, with Soda nodding in agreement.

In a split second, Miu's whimpering and crying shifted back to her loud and vulgar behavior. She straightened out and started laughing, once again catching everyone by surprise, especially to the two boys.

"Hyahyahya, I forgive you for now. Just refrain from acting such asses from now on, assholes, but the great Miu forgives you~" Miu laughed. Soda and Ishimaru shook their heads to try and catch on what just happened. From crying over yelling at her back to her laughing and loud personality. Everyone raised their eyes and shook their heads, not surprised that there is another oddball in the mix. Ishimaru wiped the sweat and Soda exhaled in relief, with Mondo relaxing knowing that she's alright.

"What they did was un-gentleman like, but they saying sorry makes up for it." a boy remarked.

The attention is then turned to a man that one could describe, a mountain amongst men. The boy is the tallest, beating Nekomaru by two inches. The boy has a muscular body build, beating Sakura and Nekomaru, definitely hinting that the boy has superhuman strength. The boy has tan skin, red eyes, and round glasses. He has long, black back-length hair with many curls. He wears a dark green suit with a yellow tie with a silver pin of his previous school on the left lapel. He has a box hung at his hip with a green strap on his shoulder. The most recognizable trait outside of his towering height, muscular physique, and fierce look...is that he wears no shoes, not even socks.

His appearance makes everyone sweat at his presence. The boy narrowed his eyes a bit, making the atmosphere tense. The fighters narrowed their eyes at the tall boy, anticipating of what he'll do. The boy opened his mouth and everybody with little bated breath waited for what he'll say. The boy's expression changed from fierce to friendly.

"Nice to meet you, friends. Gonta's name is Gonta Gokuhara and Gonta's talent is the **Ultimate Entomologist**. Gonta can speak to bugs and insects, and Gonta's goal is to be a gentleman." the now named Gonta introduced happily. Everybody relaxed knowing that Gonta is not another aggressive student and the fighters relaxed and looked at the boy with a little respect from his goal. Gonta pulled out a box and showed it to everyone.

"Here is Gonta's friends. Gonta hopes we can get along well and know his friends well." Gonta said, showing everyone the insects inside the box. While everyone looks at Gonta and his bug collection, an eerie chuckle broke the friendly chatter and they saw a boy walking next to Gonta.

The boy, if one can call it, has a very feminine face that can easily misinterpret him as a girl. His androgynous appearance makes him even more eerie by his attire. The boy stands at the same height as Byakuya and Togami, with pale skin, yellow eyes, and long, beautiful, black hair. He wears a dark green military uniform with a white undershirt with bandages covering his hands. He has knee high military boots with zippers on them and a matching color military cap with his previous school logo on the top with a chain dangling from it. The most noticeable feature on the strange boy is a black mask covering his mouth with a zipper on the mouth area. The boy's presence makes some students, especially Makoto, a bit wary.

"Kukuku, it seems Gonta's love for bugs and insects rival to my interest of studying the intricacies of humanity. Past and present, I study the basic fundamentals of human emotion, society, and behavior. Truly, we are a magnificent species." The boy mused, putting on a strange pose. "Forgive me, reminiscing on my past journeys. My name is Korekiyo Shinguji, and my talent is being the **Ultimate Anthropologist**."

"Anthropologist? You mean, you study people?" Makoto asked warily. Korekiyo turned to Makoto and began to walk to the scarf wearing boy until they are centimeters from each other. Korekiyo looked down at the boy with piqued interest while Makoto looked up at the eerie boy in wariness and nervousness, not sure of what will happen.

"Exactly, senior. You may think me studying people with me being a person myself is strange and odd, but I assure you, I mean no harm. My only interest is to learn the entirety of humanity, studying both the beauty and the ugly side of people, from the dark history to the bright future. Happiness, sadness, anger, depression, ecstasy, energy, pride, greed, name all emotions on the spectrum and it fascinates me even more." Korekiyo replied and carried on about his talent and his love for it. The androgynous anthropologist looked at Makoto and stared at the scruffy scarf around his neck and shoulders. "Hmmm, such a wonderful scarf. I believe this was given to you, correct?" Korekiyo asked.

The students looked at the little confrontation between the nervous Makoto and the strange Korekiyo about the scarf. Some of the students who didn't know where the enormous scarf came from and wanting to know about it themselves. Makoto nodded and calmed down a bit.

"Y-yeah, my father gave it to me, it was a keepsake from him." Makoto replied warily. Korekiyo lifted his head slightly in agreement and raises his eyebrows in interest.

"My my, such a wonderful father. He certainly picked an intricate piece of personal treasure for you to keep. Like all treasures, it holds value to people, just like my talent holds value for me." Korekiyo finishes before walking back to his class before giving Makoto one last glance. Small beads of sweat formed on Makoto's head after his encounter with the strange and creepy Korekiyo. The tension in the air from the confrontation eases a bit after the anthropologist left Makoto in silence.

 _'Gonta has a high but respectable passion for insects and bugs, and I can definitely see us hanging out and learning more of him. Shinguji...his affinity for people and their history is just...extreme to say the least. I don't wanna be rude and call him creepy, everybody has an intense passion on some topics, yet there are people that have a passion that is...unhealthy. And Korekiyo's is almost borderline. Any how, I can't dwell on him, there are more people to meet.'_ Makoto thought to himself nervously as he straighten the scarf.

So far, the students he met had a wide arrange of zany personalities and quirks. Some are pleasant, some are cool, some are weird, some are awkward, some are arrogant, some are aggressive, some are detached, and there are those that are like Korekiyo-san. Perhaps he'll learn more about him instead of labeling him as a creepy guy right off the bat, but then again, he can't help but think there is something else Korekiyo is hiding and a very, very, very deep feeling is that whatever it is...is not good.

"Nishishishi, oh my, what a scary confrontation. I wonder how other encounters like that will happen, it really makes this predicament much more exciting. Almost as exciting as my pranks, almost." A young boy remarked. The crowd turned and looked at their junior of a boy wearing a checkered scarf with a childlike appearance but carries a mischievous expression. The boy snickered before introducing himself.

"Oh, and by the way, I am Kokichi Oma, and just like Hajime, I don't know my talent." The purple haired boy named Kokichi said, putting the crowd into slight surprise that there is another talentless student like Hajime. Meanwhile, said Hajime stared at Kokichi with narrowed eyes while Chiaki notices the stare and looks at Hajime reassuingly. Hajime remembered their encounter with the junior and kept himself on a guard a bit because of Kokichi's attitude. He stared at Kokichi because he's telling everyone the same lie about him having no talent, which irks him a bit.

As the crowd looked at the boy, Kokichi noticed the stare coming from Hajime in the crowd and very shiftily and almost instantly, he gave Hajime a cheeky grin, giving Hajime the hint that he knows of Hajime and his attempt of glaring at him. Kokichi turned back to the crowd before chuckling mischievously.

"Oh my, I'm so sorry everyone. I'm not talentless, my talent is being the **Ultimate Supreme Leader**." After he told everyone his true talent, everyone looked and looked at Kokichi with some little suspicion at the lie he told. Kokichi only smiled wider at the gazes he's receiving. "Oh, I forgot to tell you of my talent. Telling a lie makes you feel good, right? But then when I tell you the truth a second later, that made everything I say questionable. Truth and lies go hand and hand, that's why telling a lie is important. It'll make everyone that thought of you as a liar see you as an honest person the more rewarding. I know we'll get along quite well, especially to you, Naegi-senpai. Nishishishi~" Kokichi finished before turning back to his class.

His impression left a little sour taste in most of the students' mouths. Seeing and hearing such lies coming from a boy who couldn't care less of what people react to his lies raises some eyebrows. Just like Hajime, Makoto looked at Kokichi's form with slightly narrowed eyes.

 _'A compulsive liar. Great, just what we need. He's going to be amongst the most troublesome to get along and by the look of his class, they've been through his antics and in less than ten minute. His impression left a little sour print on everybody. I hope he won't cause too much trouble down the line.'_ Makoto thought suspiciously.

After Kokichi walked away, another boy standing a few feet away walks up with a slightly bemused expression. He is a tall man with curly, green hair, green eyes, and has almost feminine eyelashes. He wears a dark blue striped sweater with a symbol of a combination of a boat steering wheel and sun, light-brown pants, and grey slip-ons. He has many piercings and jewelry that'll make Leon and Ibuki green with envy. On his right ear are six piercings and on his left is one. He wears a silver bracelet on his right wrist and a larger, black one on his left wrist. He has a single piercing on his eyebrow.

"I apologize, my name is Rantaro Amami, and just like Hajime-san, I don't know what my talent is yet." This made the crowd skeptical after Kokichi's lie about him having no talent, and that made Hajime narrowed his eyes when he heard Rantaro's statement. Rantaro turned and smiled apologetically.

"I see you've met Kokichi already, Hajime-san. Impossible to avoid difficult people like him. Unlike him, I'm telling the honest truth." Rantaro said, rubbing the back of his head. This made Hajime relaxed knowing that he's not the only one who doesn't know what his talent is, truthfully.

"I'm sorry that I was skeptical, Rantaro." Hajime apologized. The green haired boy shrugged his shoulders.

"Eh, it's no big deal. That's Kokichi for you, telling lies and saying stuff that hardly makes sense afterwards. But honestly, I hope we can become great friends." Rantaro reassured, waving dismissively.

Hajime smiled. "Sure, man." Rantaro smiled before walking back to his class to let anyone else come up.

A tall girl walked up next to Rantaro to introduce herself. Unlike the previous two who had auras of creepiness and mischief, this girl has professionalism and elegance. The girl has sandy blonde hair with green tint, with a bang covering her left eye, which are warm green. She wears a traditional Japanese maid attire: a white dress with a blue necktie, a black apron with a spider web design and her previous school emblem, a black lacy headdress, black gloves with silver rings, black leggings, and white pinwheel shoes. The girl bowed to the crowd in a respectful, maid-like manner with her tone carrying a professional and calm tone.

"Pleasure to making your acquaintances. My name is Kirumi Tojo and my job is being the **Ultimate Maid**. If you ever need help, service, or assistance in anything, come to me and I will take care of it." the maid named Kirumi introduced herself politely. The atmosphere in the gym calmed down after Kirumi's introduction. After two greetings from a creepy Korekiyo and a naughty Kokichi, everyone relaxes after Kirumi reveals to be a polite and professional maid. Everybody turned to look at the next student and saw another boy.

The boy was by far the shortest out of everyone present. The boy had a serious and hollow look in his black eyes. He has no irises in his black, emotionless eyes. He has rosy cheeks, the same mouth shape as Himiko, and what appears to be a cigarette in his mouth. He wears a black hat with two points and two tennis rackets crossed together. He wears a black, leather jacket and a black and blue striped jumpsuit underneath, similar to a prisoner. He wears brown shoes and has a metal cuff that is attached to his left ankle with a short chain. His legs are notably more muscular than the rest of his body.

Makoto's eyes widen a bit after he recognized the short bot almost instantly. "Hey, you're Ryoma Hoshi, right?"

The boy named Ryoma let out a mirthless chuckle as he looked at the crowd then at Makoto. "Well, you're half right. Ryoma Hoshi, the **Ultimate Tennis Player** is who I was...now I am nothing more than a former shadow of that promising young man. In all honestly, I don't know why I'm here."

Makoto feel quiet after hearing Ryoma's emotionless words. He and the others knew of Ryoma Hoshi, also known as the Tennis Player, or Killer Tennis. He was not only known for his fantastic tennis playing skills but also brutally murdering a mafia with a tennis racket. The students were baffled as to why a prisoner is amongst them.

"Hey, don't be consumed by fear. I have no intention of harming any one of you." Ryoma mused as he shoved his hands in his pockets, before walking back to the nearest bleachers, away from his class and the group of students.

Walking up next are two girls who carry different expressions when they are next to each other. While one looks ecstatic and happy, the other looks sleepy and annoyed. The taller, pinwheel girl who continued to beam down at the witch theme girl spared a quick glare at the students, for reasons, they don't know.

The witch theme girl who tried her best to stay awake notices the gazes the crowd gave them grumbled slightly before wiping the drool from her mouth. "Nyeh...too tired to do it...but I have to nonetheless..." the girl grumbled. Then, in an almost instant, the sleepy girl then became energetic and pulls out a wand.

"Now, prepare to be amazed." The girl twirls her wand and a dark red cape pops into existence, making the students watch in surprise and amazement at the trick. "Prepared to have your minds blown away...for you are standing in the presence in the one and only **Ultimate Mage** , Himiko Yumeno!" Then, popping out of her cape are a bunch of doves, butterflies, and solitaire cards, flying in such fashion. Most of the students clapped after Himiko pulled a magic trick. After the flying creatures and cards finished flying, Himiko went back to being sleepy and groggy.

"But...I'm mainly known as being the **Ultimate Magician**...uhhh...so sleepy." Himiko nodded a few times before she snores while standing up.

 _'Huh, a mage? That was a common magic trick, a really good one in fact.'_ Kaede thought to herself after seeing Himiko brief performance.

Sadly, her naptime is cut abruptly by the taller, pinwheel wearing girl shouts and puts on a stance with a grin on her face.

"And I, the great companion of Himiko-chan, is the **Ultimate Aikido Master** , Tenko Chabashira! And my goal is to protect the world from degenerates, like you males." Tenko gave the boys in the gym a scrutinizing glare, putting the boys off while the girls looked at Tenko like she came from another world.

"Wha-? What do you mean, degenerates? We hadn't done anything!" Leon exclaimed, not pleased by Tenko's viewpoint, with most of the boys agreeing with him from the bias. However, the protests didn't made Tenko back off. In fact, in only stoked her fire more.

"True, but you will wait for the right moment while we are at a time of weakness, whether we'll be eating or sleeping, and that will give you the time to strike! And I will not let your tainted existence bring us down, especially to Himiko-chan!" Tenko remarked boldly, while hugging the sleepy magician, who grumbled in annoyance from Tenko's loud voice.

"Nyeh...so annoying..need space." she grumbled.

"Oh my, made new friends already, Tenko?" a girl voiced out. Tenko and the students turned at the tall girl who walked with a soft smile.

The girl has teal eyes, long wavy, cerulean hair, and circular glasses. She wears a white blouse, a black pleated, knee-length skirt with buttons at the waist, and a black blazer. She has knee high, black socks and grey shoes. If one looked extremely closely at the girl's eyes, they would notice that they have bags under the eyes, but the glasses hid the bags really well.

Tenko smiled at the new girl before hugging Himiko closer, making the former annoyed from the Aikido fighter's invading her personal space and her channeling for mana. The girl smiled and chuckled a bit.

"Oh, nice to meet you everyone. My name is Tsumugi Shirogane, and I am the **Ultimate Cosplayer**. Pretty surprising for someone average as me having such a talent." the girl mused.

In the crowd, a certain fanfic writer jumps from the mention of cosplayer and walked up to see Tsumugi with an excited look on his face, catching her by surprise a bit from the sudden appearance.

"Oh, a cosplayer?! You mean, you can become any anime or manga character you want to be?! Such an amazing, intricate 3-D art~" Hifumi asked ecstatically, while pulling out a notebook. Tsumugi looked at Hifumi with a confused look before chuckling a bit.

"Oh, I'm sorry Mr. Yamada-senpai. Even my talent does involve cosplay, I'm not much of an actual cosplayer. I'm much more of a...reserved type of cosplayer. I only do it when others that are better than me are not there." Tsumugi replied shyly.

"Awww, you mean you don't like dressing up as various anime characters? I mean, you have this sexy aura around you that deems worthy of cosplay." Hifumi said. Tsumugi chuckled in response and scratched her cheek.

"I'm afraid so, and whenever people look at me like that, I don't find it comfortable." Tsumugi replied. "I'm fine with making the costumes and I find it fun for other people to wear them." Hifumi widen his eyes in wonder of Tsumugi's talent. Perhaps he can ask her if he can borrow a few anime/manga costumes to inspire his fanfic creations.

"Yaha, how is everyone doing?" a cheerful voice called out. Everybody turned and looked at a tan skinned girl who waved at them with a bright smile. The girl has tan skin complexion, has teal eyes, and long silver hair tied into tails. She wears a white frilly bikini with a light blue skirt with a pack containing art tools in it. She wears a large yellow overcoat and sandals. The girl's aura, like Aoi, screams friendly and cheerful.

"Hiya, my name is Angie Yonaga, and I am the **Ultimate Artist** , the great Atua is pleased to meet you all." the girl named Angie said happily.

"Hi, Angie. You're cheerful today." Makoto said.

"I am, we need positive energy to drive out the negative energy despite the circumstances, for Atua will tell me the way for us to leave this place of isolation." Angie replied happily, while putting her arms over her head in a circle.

 _'She's a nice person to get along with, but who is this Atua she speaks of? Is he or she some kind of god or focus on her religious belief?"_ Makoto asked to himself.

Lastly, everyone turned their gazes at a person who had the strangest appearance, dare they say, stranger than Korekiyo. The person's face is really androgynous, almost hard to tell if it's a boy or girl. But because of the body shape, they can confirm that the person is a boy. The boy has very pale skin, with thick black lines running down from his eyes down to his cheeks. His eyes appear mechanical, with the eyebrows looking like they're part of the eyes; his eyes are blue in color. He has white, spiky hair with a large ahoge on top of his head. His attire, if anyone would call it that, consists of black, metallic, armor plating resembling a gakuran. He has glowing downs running down on his stomach, and small plating resembling a breast pocket.

The boy has a neutral expression and continues to gaze at the students who are gazing at him in curiosity. The boy's eyes continue to gaze at the students before after a few moments, he blinked and opened his mouth.

"Are you guys afraid of me?" the boy asked. The crowd became confused after his question, which carries apprehension and a little bit of anger. The boy's eyes narrowed a bit and continue to press his question.

"Do you have any prejudice against people like me?" he asked accusingly. Some of the students are a bit taken back from the accusation. The boy's eyes continue to glower in anger until Makoto spoke for the students.

"Ummm, no? We don't have any prejudice against you, we don't even know who you are?" Makoto asked. The boy's eyes turned to the scarf wearing ahoge boy and continue with his glare.

"Are you hiding deceit in your words, senior? Do you carry any discrimination against robots?" the boy glowered. Makoto's eyes widen a bit before he finally answered to clear the air of the misunderstanding.

"Robot? No, we do not hate robots. Whether it be a person or a robot, we don't have any hatred towards you." Makoto replied. The boy's eyes bore into Makoto's, the pupils widen a bit, as if they are studying him. Then, the eyes scan the entire crowd, searching for any negative emotions and discrimination against him. After a few moments, the boy's serious and angered expression changed into one of embarrassment and awkwardness.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I thought you guys would afraid or despise me because of my looks! I always assumed the worst." the boy exclaimed, flustered from the awkward confrontation. The crowd sweatdrop from the behavior change and thought one thing in mind.

 _'Really?'_

The boy's face turned red from the embarrassment and looks at the crowd awkwardly before chuckling a bit. The mechanical boy straighten himself out before finally telling everyone his name.

"I'm so sorry, everybody. I am K1-B0, but please call me Keebo. And my talent, as you can tell, is being the **Ultimate Robot**. I hope we can get along after that little misunderstanding." the now named Keebo said cheerfully. He looked at the crowd for a moment, taking in every single face in the room before turning to Aoi. "And that is the entirety of Class 79. I'm so glad to finally meet our seniors, and I hope we can all become great friends." Keebo said, finishing the introductions of their class.

All three classes in the gym are finished with their introductions, this is extremely pleasing, especially to a certain boy who's smile is threatening to split in excitement. Makoto hid his snickers behind the massive, furry scarf to muffle it from the students. The scarf in turn shuffles excitedly before staying still, in total agreement with Makoto.

 _'Yes! Finally, all of us are finished! Now, just need for Hina-san to close the introductions before I come in~'_ Makoto mused to himself gleefully. Speaking of Hina, the bubbly swimmer smiled widely after the classes finishing introducing themselves and getting acquainting. Aoi hopped in excitement after the introductions are over.

"It's my greatest pleasure to meet you all! I'm so glad we got to know each other's names and talents, and now, let's get started and-"

"Wait a minute!"

A voice called out, interrupting Aoi, causing her and the rest of the students turned and looked at the source of the voice. The voice is coming from none other than Makoto Naegi, an ordinary boy wearing an extraordinary scarf. Unlike from the intros and acquaintances, Makoto's face carried a whole lot of happiness and excitement.

"What is it, Naegi-san?" Aoi asked curiously.

"We forgot one more person from us." Makoto replied. That statement caught Aoi and the students off guard. There are three classes, sixteen students in each class total, they counted everybody here. How come they miss one person in the entire gym? Why hasn't this person showed himself or herself yet? Makoto grinned wider when he looked at the confused faces from the students.

"How come, we counted everyone here. How come we miss one and why hadn't he or she introduce herself during the roll call?" Ishimaru asked, with the crowd agreeing.

"Well, that person is not...that good in large crowds. That's why after we finish introducing ourselves, this person will show." Makoto replied.

"Well then, who is it, man?" Leon asked curiously. Some of the students began to form questions on where the missing person is.

Out of nowhere, a panicked shout came from the crowd startled everyone. The crowd turned and looked at the **Ultimate Clairvoyant** , Hiro Hagakure, who is sweating bullets and has a frightened expression on his face, quaking in his sandals. The students are perplexed even further, while some are annoyed when Hiro shrieked out of nowhere and some of the gazes are demanding him why. And instantly, he answered for them.

"B-b-b-b-big! S-s-scary! B-big scary m-man, h-h-h-he..." Hiro stuttered, clearly terrified of whatever is going through his head. The students looked at Hiro like he'd grown a second head, and Byakuya spoke in a harsh tone.

"What on earth are you yammering about now, moron?" Byakuya demanded harshly, clearly not in the mood for Hiro's antics. Hiro turned to Byakuya with clear terror in his eyes and continued with his answer.

"D-d-don't l-l-let h-him...b-b-big b-bro!" Hiro stammered. Byakuya huffed angrily before pushing his glasses to regain composure.

"Look, we don't have time for your foolish tricks, cretin. Spit it out and tell us why did you screamed like that?" the heir demanded. Hiro stopped and pulled out his crystal ball, shaking while doing so.

"I-I-I had a prediction. A real glimpse in the future...t-t-that something b-b-big and t-t-t-terrifying will show!" Hiro exclaimed fearfully. Byakuya and the crowd rolled their eyes from the prediction. However, the only one who only smiles wider in anticipation is, well you know who.

"Another one of your stupid predictions?" Celestia asked, looking at her nails. Hiro stood back and tried to hold his crystal ball without letting it fall from the denial. He shook his head furiously and tried to keep calm but continues to fail miserably.

"B-b-but I saw it, i-i-it's the truth!" Hiro stammered back, trying to let everyone know he's telling the truth. Celestia turned her gaze at the frightened psychic.

"Listen here, Hagakure-san. Since when did we ever believe your previous predictions on what's going to happen? And since when any one of them are true? And now, for some reason, you want us to believe that this prediction of something 'big and scary' is coming?" Celestia asked rhetorically. Hiro looked like he is shocked, he had no way of getting his truth across.

"And I will answer that, absolutely no reason whatsoever. So please, cease your cowardly shaking and let's get this acquaintance over with." Byakuya answered coldly. He turned his attention to Makoto who tried not to bowl over laughing. "Well then, Naegi? Introduce this person to us so we can move on to more important things." he demanded. Makoto looked at Byakuya and the crowd and nodded.

"Sure thing." Makoto walked from the crowd and headed to the podium with Aoi and waved at her with her waving back. Makoto walked up and whispered something in her ear. After a little bit, Aoi smiled and nodded.

"She's all yours, Naegi-san!" Aoi called out happily. The swimmer walked down from the podium and head back into the crowd and stood beside Sakura with them smiling at each other before turning their attention to Makoto in the front.

 _'This is it, the moment of truth.'_ Makoto beamed. He cleared his throat before speaking to the students.

"Hey, everyone. As you all know, my name is Makoto Naegi and I am the **Ultimate Luckster**. I just want to let you guys meet my new friend." Makoto begins to take off the massive scarf and fedora, unwrapping it from his shoulders before laying it down on the platform with a soft thud and placing the fedora in the middle of the scarf. "This here, I would like to introduce you to..." Makoto continued, pausing on the last part. The students gazed at the scarf then Makoto in bated breath, waiting for what will he say.

"Charlotte Katakuri!" he finished proudly, presenting the laid-out scarf and hat in pride. That sent everyone in a whirl. A scarf and a hat, really? The new person, the missing student, the one that everyone is waiting for...is just his scarf? What?

"Katakuri, who's that?"

"That scarf and hat? Is that his new friend?"

"Wow, he really is stupid."

"That's...unusual."

Byakuya scoffed. "You must be joking, right? Are you really suggesting that...piece of ragtag neck wear and a cheap headwear, is supposed to be this 'missing student' you so call proclaimed it to be?" Makoto nodded. Byakuya scoffed and chuckled haughtily.

"If that's the case, then you really are a pathetic." Byakuya finished arrogantly. Makoto only smiled, not letting the insult faze him. Sayaka glared at the heir from the insult before turning to Makoto with a soft look.

"Makoto, are those are like, your imaginary friends?" Sayaka asked. Makoto shook his head and smiled.

"Nope, this here is Katakuri, he's really cool." Makoto replied. That sent some students snickering, whispering, and scoffing from the lackluster revelation of the supposed 'scary thing'. Byakuya turned his attention to the still trembling Hiro who is glaring at the pieces of wear in fright.

"As expected, your so-called prediction is nothing more than child's play. And stop trembling like a wimp, it's getting on my nerves." Byakuya said. Hiro shook his head and continue to glare at the innocent looking scarf and fedora like it's the most terrifying thing in the world.

"N-no, you have no idea." Hiro whispered, with nobody heard the whimper.

"Are you finish with your charade, cretin? Come down and let's get on into serious topics." Byakuya demanded.

Then, after a few moments, Makoto relented and looked at the scarf and what happened next caught everyone, even ones like Byakuya and Celestia in surpise: Makoto Naegi, the nervous, ordinary, plain-looking luckster, who can't socialize...is smiling.

But this smile, this one has mischief in it...one that can even put Kokichi's to shame.

"Come on, Katakuri, say hi." Makoto said, crouching down looking at the scarf and hat. For a moment, it did nothing.

But suddenly, the scarf started to move.

* * *

The action caught them by surprise. How can a simple raggedy scarf is moving on it's own? What's in it? A dog, a cat?

But sadly, that's not the answer. The scarf continues to shuffle until it starts to shake. The fedora remained on top of the center as the scarf shakes violently. For some reason, the gym starts to shakes a bit. That made everyone on edge. Where and how is this rumbling come into place, and how can a scarf can make such a big room shake? Then, almost in an agonizing slow way, the same deathly, predatory aura that was emitted earlier came back and started to coat the students in the same frightened, terrified, and horrified feeling of being looked down by a monstrous being. The same way when an ant is looking at a giant. How a mouse is looking at a lion.

The students backed away a bit in terror, some sweated profusely. The fighters tried to put on a stance but just like last time, they find themselves unable to. The smaller ones tried to stand but ended up on their behinds or legs. Byakuya backed away from the podium and stood in fear and awe as the same aura emitted from earlier until suddenly, a shocking realization popped into his head. He turned his attention from Makoto, who is not even fazed from the aura but looks at the scarf in excitement, to the scarf which continues to shake. Byakuya tried to open his mouth to produce words but fails to do so in utter terror. Never in his life he felt such an emotion, this feeling of weakness, this feeling of being looked down by something bigger, this feeling of... _fear._

"T-That scarf...y-y-you mean? T-that thing, was responsible for that horrible feeling earlier?" Byakuya asked fearfully, swallowing his dried throat. The students who heard him had the same horrified look of realization and looked at the terrifying, seemingly harmless scarf and fedora, continuing to emit such a terrifying feeling. Continuing to choke them in this cloud of despair and fear.

One student who gazed at the scarf in fear had thoughts rummaging through her head as she swallowed a large lump of saliva. During her life, she experienced one of the worst cast scenarios and fearful situations and she always conquered the fear and despair and came out on top. But that was the human level of trauma and horror. This one...this is...so otherworldly...so...despairingly awful and terrifying, it's impossible to comprehend into words. _'I-i-is this the despair that she is looking for? H-how can I-how can she? This despair...I-I-can't describe it/ How can she love this feeling, t-t-this is u-unreal!"_

A few seconds of pain, fear, and horror passed by and then, the entire gym stopped shaking and the deathly aura diminished greatly, until like last time, it completely vanished. The students tried to recollect themselves from the aura the scarf was emitting. Unfortunately, their recomposure is shot down when the scarf, that stood statue-like still, pops out white, cartoony blobs.

The white cartoonish blobs then form into more muscular and toned arms, more muscular than the physically strong students in the gym combined. Pink designs started to form on the left arm and black gloves formed on the hands. Black, spiky armbands appear on the arms. The arms then planted themselves on the ground before the scarf rumbles more and more white, thick, oozing stuff flows from the bottom of the scarf. The creepy, terrifying, and odd actions this scarf is doing is scaring the students more than ever. If they every have a psychic link, they can all agree and say the same thing.

What is the everloving hell is going on?

The ooze then begins to get bigger and taller, getting pass Makoto's head, who is grinning from ear to ear. The ooze then begins to form knees and the legs begin to stretch. The legs grew into an immense size and height, taller than Gonta, twice! The legs then begin to form pants with a skull belt buckle, kneepads, and boots with spurs on them. The midsection of the ooze then turns into hardened, well-defined, and muscular abs with the same pink designs appearing on the left side. Out from the stomach is a black biker vest with a skull on the back wraps around the shoulders and hips. The legs and stomach grew taller and taller, looking down at the students already until the ooze begins to shape itself into a human being. Popping out from the hole of the scarf is a mass of crimson hair with the fedora hat on top.

The white ooze in the head area begins to form into the most frightening, intense, and intimidating eyebrows and eyes everyone has ever seen. The eyes had hoods, looking like the eyes are pushed in the skull. Vertical stitch lines appear on the cheeks until they meet on the mouth's corners, which are hidden by the scarf. The ooze turned human then switched colors, changing from white into tan. The thing is now towering above everyone in the entire gym, with the tallest of them, Gonta, meeting barely to the knee area. The thing then fully turns into a man, if one can call one.

The transformation made everyone terrified beyond words. The scarf, a seemingly innocent scarf that they ridiculed earlier...emit a death aura and transformed into the tallest, biggest, and scariest man everyone has every seen in forever. For once, once, Hiro was right. And he is right about one thing: this man is definitely scary!

The man's eyes which remained closed from the transformation opened slowly, and bright, menacing, crimson eyes glowered at the students, terrifying them even further. Majority of the students are stammering in shock, some are tearing up in absolute fear. His veiny forehead pulsed a bit, making a squelching sound when blood flowed through the veins. Ones like Byakuya, Kyoko, Celestia, and them gazed at the gargantuan man in unrestricted, pure, raw terror and fright. The fighters stood still, knowing full well that whoever this man is, is the strongest out of everyone here, combined, without a thought. They remained planted and continue to look at the man in wonder, fear, and horror. The smaller ones are shell-shocked, for even ones like Toko, fainted from absolute horror from the man.

The man straighten himself out and looked down the shell-shocked and flabbergasted students neutrally, making the students even more scared. The man's eyes narrowed a bit, studying the crowd further looked at every single face in the gym. The man turned down and looked at the surprisingly Makoto Naegi, who is not even fazed or shocked! In fact, he looked pleased and happy that this gigantic man popped out of nowhere and scared the living hell out of them. The man did a little, subtle nod and Makoto nodded back and cleared his throat again, gathering the attention of the students, who shakily, gazed at the duo in awe and terror.

Makoto smiled and laughed a bit. "Well everyone, this here is my new friend. Tell them please~."

The man who continued to glare at the frightened crowd lightened up a bit and if one can read body language, the man is also smirking underneath the scarf and begins to chuckle. The man's voice sent shivers down their spines. That is the deepest voice everyone has heard in their life. Nobody has a voice _that_ low. So, _he_ is Makoto's new friend? This is the missing student, a living Titan among men? No words, no words.

Then, what it seems like forever, the titan took a deep breath and began to speak through the scarf, which didn't muffle his baritone voice.

"Greetings, little ants. My name is Charlotte Katakuri and I would like to say...

"Hello."

 _End of chapter_

* * *

 _ **A.N: AAAAAAAAND THAT IS THE END! OH MY GOSH, this is definitely the longest chapter I made by far, by far! And I know I will have more chapters like these in the future. Finally, at long last, the great Charlotte Katakuri made his appearance and scared the living sh*t out of everybody. How was it? Is it good, bad, so-so? If you have any like suggestions or ways to make it better, please review or PM me.**_

 _ **First of all, I am so so so so so so sorry for my absence. College, job hunting, family issues, and whatnot can really bring an author's writing spirit down. But that does not mean I'm not dropping or abandoning the story, no siree! I will not rest until the first and every One Piece/Danganronpa crossover is fully complete for the viewers and readers to enjoy! I WILL NOT!**_

 _ **Second, I will do my best and keep updating. I will not make promises in case stuff like that happens, but I can guarantee you, this story will be complete and I hope I did not make it bad. I just wanted every student to introduce themselves one by one instead of at random, wanting to move the story along and to bring in the MC in the mix. Thank you all for the reviews, favorites, and views. Review, like, and favorite. No flames please! Enjoy the latest and newest and longest chapter so far in The Ultimate Big Brother!**_

 **Beta-reading by**

 **King Carlos**

 **Shadow of Life**


	6. Chapter 5: Dogtooth

**Chapter 5: Dogtooth**

"Hello"-speech

 _'Hello'-_ thoughts/flashback

*grunts*-onomatopoeia

 **Ultimate-** title/time period

 _ **"I can see the future"-**_ Katakuri's Future/Monokuma

* * *

 _ **A/N: I can't believe it...over 1740 views and 13 people love this story and 16 reviews? I-I can't thank you enough. I mean, I know it's tiny compared to the other Danganronpa stories but this is the most viewed One Piece/Danganronpa crossover ever and over 1700 people read it? To me, that's a large number of people to view such a story in such an almost nonexistent section in the Danganronpa fanfic world! If this continues further, I will plan another Danganronpa crossover, maybe one with Luffy or one story where all classes of 77, 78, and 79, and some of 76 go in a distant future and fight against their ultimate despair counterparts where the world is basically in ruins.**_

 _ **I'm rambling on and thinking waaaayyyy too far ahead of the fanfictions but I can't help but make more and more creative ideas and worlds and I will see this story to the end and see where it takes us. Once again, thank you all to my fellow readers and watchers and my beta-readers King Carlos and Shadow of Life. If anyone else like to help them and me of my stories of proofreading, please PM me.**_

 _ **I would like to also thank Putain de Plagieur, Spirit Soldier, Jibster, jean010, The Dark Hood, and Crit Fail for their stories that inspired this one. I hope that the improvising writing made the story more engaging, and I will update this story so it'll draw more people to read. Thank you for your stories that helped inspired this one.**_

 _ **Anyways...let's hop in to the story!**_

* * *

 **Day One**

 **First Floor**

 **Gym**

 **10:10 a.m.**

"Hello ants, my name is Charlotte Katakuri and I would like to say...hello."

Fear. Shock. Awe. Dread. Horror. Terror. Despair.

Those are the seven emotions the entire student body are feeling.

The air was so thick, anyone who will walk in will pass out from the tension that hung in the air. No one dared to speak, heck, no one dared to breathe. All they can do was to take in, albeit very poorly, on what they just describe as demonically.

They saw Makoto Naegi's scarf transformed into the biggest, tallest, and scariest _person_ they have ever seen in their lives. They've never heard or saw someone with such a gargantuan height. Even the taller ones such as Sakura, Nekomaru, and Gonta were barely at his knees. The giant peers at the shell-shocked ultimates with a gaze that sent their bodies into shudders.

For once, _once_ , Hiro was right.

Scary is an understatement...this man was straight-up terrifying.

Even the calm and cool students lost their composure long ago when the scarf moved and they felt that aura again, but witnessing Makoto's 'friend' appearing as white ooze and towering above them with an appearance of the boogeyman himself, that is icing on the cake.

And speaking of Makoto, the young boy is grinning from ear to ear when he drank up the priceless reactions on everybody's faces of them staring at Katakuri with shocked and fearful faces. He knew they would be able to react extremely, but this topped his expectations.

In his mind, Makoto began to tell himself on the reason how and why he went in on this idea. How can someone as intimidating and menacing as Charlotte Katakuri wanted to pull such a childish, yet amazing stunt to scare the students? And why he wanted to join in on it. But those thoughts were all out the window when he knew the reason why he joined in after seeing more fear-stricken faces of the students.

It goes a little something like this...

* * *

 ** _Two hours ago in the hallway_**

 _"W-wait, you want me to do what now?"_

 _"Want me to repeat myself, Makoto?"_

 _"N-no, it's not that, it's just...why though? I mean, you know..." Makoto looked up at Katakuri with a raised eyebrow as he heard the giant's idea on how he wants to scare everybody when they meet at the gym, but mainly as to why he wants to include him in on the joke._

 _And it's not that he likes to play a good joke, it's just someone as..._

 _"Someone as intimidating and gnarly as me can be able to pull a childish prank like this?"_

 _Makoto snapped away from his thoughts as he looked at Katakuri with a nervous chuckle when he read of what he was about to say. As if reading his mind, in which he is, Katakuri continued._

 _"I know. Even though I look menacing and no-nonsense, whenever I'm around some people I'm comfortable with, it can't hurt to be a little cheeky." Katakuri looked down at Makoto with a slightly lightened neutral look._

 _"And you're comfortable around me? I mean, you don't know how you got here, and normally you would've been more distant towards everyone including me. I mean, with all the info I gave you, I would've expect you to still be a bit wary." The ahoge boy raised his eyebrow at Katakuri's willing openness towards him. He would've expect him to be wary and tell him to keep his distance until he can trust him, but how did Katakuri knows he's trustworthy enough to ask him to be a part of the scare?_

 _"Simple, I know who you are."_

 _That simple answer was enough to stop Makoto's ramblings and make him look at him with a surprised look. Makoto couldn't help but feel off-putting on how a complete stranger with an appearance he never met in his life knows who he is? Who exactly is Charlotte Katakuri? What is he?_

 _"Calm down, boy. I know who you in a sense of character. You have a plain appearance. Normal, not intriguing, pretty boring and generic actually." Makoto couldn't help but feel crestfallen after the comments. "But I know you have a good heart, you always want the best out of everybody, always stay positive when it hits the fan, and you always have a strong sense of hope. And I know you wouldn't look at me in any kind of incriminating way. I can tell by your appearance, behavior, and personality...you're a good boy, Makoto."_

 _Makoto's face brighten after Katakuri's opinion on him. And in all honesty, he couldn't help but have a very, very faint blush after that. Compliments coming from a guy like Katakuri can make someone bright as a light._

 _"You really think so?" Makoto asked._

 _The man nodded. "No doubt. Besides...you remind of a certain someone." Even in his head, Katakuri can see himself telling him why he trusted him to be in on the joke, but something else buzzed through his head after he said his opinion on the boy. Just something about his behavior and appearance clicked in his head of the young man he remembered fighting against._

 _Sure, Makoto's a lot more skiddish and the young man is more headstrong, stubborn, hard-headed, persistent, and foolish. Yet at the same, both he and the young man both have a strong spirit, a good sense of morality, always wanting to help people, and always stay strong and hopeful even when the going gets tough on them._

 _Katakuri couldn't help but feel a bit of fondness from the both of them. Those traits were something he's most familiar with, and can relate to. Even someone like him couldn't help but admire the will and determination in them._

 _Besides...he was like them when he was little, well, more foolish and stubborn that is._

 _Pulling himself out of his thoughts, Katakuri asked Makoto further to be in on the joke._

 _"Well? You're in?"_

 _Makoto rubbed the back of his head as thought about it. Normally, he would be against the idea of being in on pranks and jokes, because it's not in him to be a prankster. He's more of an egg boy, a herbivore. But he couldn't help but feel a bit giddy when he thought of the priceless and shocked faces on everybody when they see Katakuri, seeing someone as out-of-this-world as him be in the midst._

 _What would one good ol' prank can hurt?_

 _Sure, it'll frighten them out of their wits and fry their brains, but hey, it'll be hilarious._

 _With a confident smile and nod, Makoto gave Katakuri the answer which made the crimsonhead man eye smirked._

* * *

Holding down his laughter, Makoto straightens up and walked beside Katakuri, making the students shocked even further when they saw the height difference of Makoto and 'Katakuri'.

Ridiculous is an understatement of the height difference, it's ludicrous! Makoto is not even knee height, he's barely around the shin height, but the ahoge boy beamed from ear to ear.

"Well guys, your thoughts?" Makoto asked cheekily with Katakuri chuckled a bit in agreement with the hazel eyed boy.

In another moment of silence, the silence is broken by a sharp gasp from Toko, then by a thud. The domino effect began with the timid Mikan fainting along with Toko on the floor. Then came the fearful exclamations and reactions.

"KYAAAAAAA!" A high-pitched scream from Sayaka started more verbal reactions from the crowd.

"I TOLD YOU GUYS, I TOLD YOU! B-b-b-big and scary m-m-man, dudes! I-I-I-I'm shaking in my boots, man!" Hiro exclaimed while putting in some sort of meditating pose. "OH MAN, I HATE IT WHEN I'M RIGHT!"

"TITAN, IT'S A TITAN! TITAN! TITAN! IT'S HERE TO STOMP ON US AND EAT US! HEEELLLPP!" Hifumi screamed girlishly, pointing at Katakuri with a shaky finger.

"S-S-S-Sakura, w-what i-i-i-is..." Aoi stuttered, hiding beside Sakura, who also stared at the gargantuan man with fear and dread.

"F-forgive me, b-but I have no idea." Sakura replied with a shaky voice. Aoi's eyes widened when she heard that her dear friend is also terrified of the man. Sakura Ogami, the **Ultimate Martial Artist** , who can battle 100 men at once and can still emerge victorious, is frightened from one massive, gargantuan, titanic, _monstrous_ man.

"W-what the f-f-fuck, man! W-what the hell is going on?" Mondo stammered, staring at Katakuri's height and appearance. Yet at the same time, he can't help but feel awe at Katakuri's biker attire with the vest, boots, and pants. Is he part of a biker gang, no doubt he's the leader of the gang. Why hasn't he heard of the gang? Why hasn't he heard him anywhere in his district or in Japan?

For once, Ishimaru didn't mind about the biker's vulgar language since for once, for _once,_ it seems appropriate to a situation like this. The hall monitor met countless new students, all with quirky personalities and various talents, heck, he even greeted those who are a foot taller than him and he still greets them. But this 'missing student' Naegi claimed...how on earth can he be a student? Ishimaru never in his whole life met anyone who was gnarly, as intimidating, as titantic, and as _monstrous_ as this 'Katakuri.' The poor red-eyed boy can do was sweat with his mouth agape, his eyes widened, and his body trembling.

"I-I don't know, dude, but I know it's freaking me out!" Leon replied shakily, standing a few steps back.

"Y-you mean...t-t-that thing...was the one...that caused us to feel like we're gonna...d-d-die?" Byakuya still couldn't believe what he's witnessing. Never in his life he felt such fear and horror from a person-no, a giant.

This giant is making him feel so worthless. Weak, helpless, pathetic, small, insignificant, powerless, naked, stripped. The heir's stomach threatened to throw up when he thought of such feelings he never thought he would feel. He despised such weak feelings, only those belong to these students, these plebeians. But...how could he not? This titan is making him feel like plankton...and that's is a painful truth he had to swallow.

Chihiro froze with fear. She couldn't utter a squeak, syllable, or a gasp. One thing about Chihiro is that she is extremely shy and timid, along with Mikan and Toko. Chihiro couldn't speak steady when talking to someone, let alone in a crowd.

But seeing Makoto's new friend with his monstrous height, menacing face, and frightening appearance pushed Chihiro beyond. So there is only one answer the shell-shocked girl can muster:

An ear-piercing shriek and a faint, joining Mikan and Toko on the floor.

Mukuro took a couple of steps back, her face cannot stop the rivers of sweat running down. Her legs tremble like a newborn fawn, and her throat is as dry as the desert. Rummaging through her head, she cannot fathom the amount of fear and terror she felt from being in the presence, yet alone gaze of 'Katakuri'. Her stomach is turning flips from the amount of dread she's feeling.

From the previous weeks, whenever she felt the harm from her sister, she tried to taste the euphoric feel of despair whenever she received physical and verbal abuse. The tastes were temporary and sweet feeling, but somehow, she didn't felt as drunken crazed as Junko. Is this the despair she's looking for, the ultimate thrill she tried to experience? How could anyone withstand such dread? Such horror...such despair?

 _'W-w-w-w-w-w-what...how could she...have thrills w-when feeling l-l-like this? I-I've never felt s-such dread since...that day. I-I faced death m-many times in the face and brushed it aside...but this? I-I-I j-just can't...I-I can't.'_ Mukuro whimpered to herself. The disguised girl never met or felt this level of horror ever since her first meeting with her sister. Ever since she's first step on the battlefield. Her mind is on the brink of collapse but the soldier is mustering up every fiber of her being not to faint or run away from the menacing giant.

Celestia stared at the gargantuan man and her calm expression and cool facade dropped. Her eyes widen in horror as she couldn't help but take one step back to try to distance herself from the man, but couldn't. Celestia's mouth gaped wide open, her hands trembling with the metal claw on her finger making a barely audible clatter. Her heart raced as she put her hand on chest to try and calm herself, key word try.

Like Byakuya, she never felt such raw vulnerability and weakness since...no. No! She cannot compare such trivial weakness to _that_...but this Katakuri fellow is definitely making her feel that her _secret_ is nothing compared to this.

As sweat runs from her forehead and neck, Kyoko's mind is racing a hundred miles an hour right now as she took in every single angle and detail of Makoto's new friend. Kyoko is a girl of logic, a girl of evidence, a girl of skepticism, and a girl of rationality. Overall, she is a girl who is basically in the category 'seeing is believing', with absolutely no belief of the supernatural. When it comes to Hiro's predictions, she and like everyone ignore them, but rarely, _rarely_ , they come true.

And seeing Makoto's new friend who basically emerged like an ooze monster and making her and the rest of the students ants to his height...is impossible to believe. It's unexplainable, it's unthinkable, it's unbelievable..it's _impossible_. The terrified girl couldn't think of words to describe the dread she's feeling in her stomach.

She wished it was some kind of illusion or childish prank, but that was no prank. She just witnessed something supernatural, abnormal, and impossible...and there are two words that completely described what she's feeling:

Shell-shocked and terrified.

* * *

In another class, Hajime backed away trying to grasp what he saw. He rubbed his eyes to clear his mind, hopefully what he's seeing is some kind of trick or prank, but sadly, those hopes were instantly shot down when he opened his eyes again and lo and behold, Katakuri is still in his sights. He tightened his jaw in fear as he tried to take in someone or _something_ he never seen or heard before in his life or ever!

"W-w-where d-did he...w-where did he come from? H-h-how can he do t-that?" Hajime stammered, looking at Chiaki, whom is not faring the spectacle herself. In fact, Chiaki did the one and only thing that is unlike her and will never did during her life or the time he met her:

Chiaki Nanami, the **Ultimate Gamer** , who always kept her eyes glued to her Nantendo, dropped her game.

The console briefly flashed 'GAME OVER' on whatever game she was playing, and then it shuts off from impact. Chiaki stared at Katakuri in both amazement, awe, terror, and shock. Chiaki's hands trembled as she couldn't believe it herself that she would ever put her game down, let alone drop it.

"Me? I-I don't k-know. H-he looks like a final boss or superboss in a video game, b-but I never seen someone like him in any of games o-or...anything." Chiaki replied shakily, trying to reference Katakuri's monstrous appearance to any of her video games but failed miserably.

"W-what abomination am I witnessing here?! What kind of demon are you?! Are you from the Nine Realms? S-speak, demon!" Gundham pointed at Katakuri in anger, fear, and shock. He pulls up his scarf as he put on pose to try to summon his hamsters, who acknowledges the stance. "Come, my Devas! Help me to destroy this unworldly abomination from this world!"

The hamsters popped out from Gundham and put on their signature poses, but when the very moment they saw the demon their master calls it, they tremble like leaves as they gazed at Katakuri. The crimsonhead titan turned his glare to the terrified hamsters and Gundham, raising his eyebrow. The hamsters stood frozen in Katakuri's icy cold gaze, feeling their very souls freeze when the demon turned its attention to them. They tried to sum up whatever energy they can to help their master but it proved fruitless.

"W-w-what are you staring at, demon? Y-you dare to c-challenge the great and terrifying power of G-Gundham Tanaka? Come, Devas, use your maximum power to vanquish this otherworldly devil of disaster!" Gundham barked, yet shakily.

Their master's words flew in one ear and out the other. The hamsters were helpless, they couldn't squeak in fear as they continued to feel dread in the demon's gaze. Whatever is about to happen, it'll make them traumatize, if they aren't traumatized enough. Katakuri took notice and lightened his eyes a bit and began to speak ever since he introduced himself.

"Boo."

Shrieking and screaming, the hamsters scurried back into Gundham for safety to get away from Katakuri's gaze. Tanaka gasped as he saw his most trusted companions ran away in fear for their lives. He never, once in his life, saw his Four Devas of Destruction, running away from a demon. They vanquished thousands of demons, making their name known and feared through the realms, but for once, they turned tail and ran.

"W-what in tarnation?! Why are my Four Devas acting like terrified mortals?! Come out, Devas, you mustn't let this demon intimidate you!" Gundham tried his best to re-summon his hamsters to battle against the giant, but all he received was whimpers and shudders.

As for Mikan, well, we all know what happened to her.

Meanwhile, Akane stared at Katakuri in both excitement and shock. On the shocked part, the only person she ever tangoed with was Nekomaru, who is a tall himself and can give her a run of her money. On occasions, she challenged Nekomaru into trying to prove to be the strongest by beating the **Ultimate Team Manager** , but he always comes out on top, some close calls, but always on top. Seeing Katakuri definitely made her mind rethink on who's the strongest.

One, Akane sweated when she measured her height to his, making her an ant to his enormous height. And like many others, the height definitely made her and everyone felt tiny. Two, his physique. His abs, arms, legs, and shoulders definitely surpassed Nekomaru's, Sakura's, and Gonta's physiques.

On the excitement part, Akane was not only known to be the **Ultimate Gymnast** , but also from her instinctual behavior and her love for battle. She always want to beat Nekomaru, Sakura, and the other fighters in combat to be the best, nothing else. But something about Katakuri's appearance and aura sent shivers down her spine. She's having trouble of keeping her fingers still from twitching and clutching, from both excitement and shock. Akane may not be known from her smarts, but she knows that if her and Katakuri fight one-on-one, no contest.

But hey, what would one match against him will hurt?

Sonia placed a hand on her chest and tried to calm herself when she gazed at the giant. She couldn't help but feel her legs tremble when she slowly looked up at Katakuri. But at the same time, she couldn't help but feel curious as to where this man came from? She never, in her whole life, met or heard anyone like him before, let alone from her home country.

"O-o-o-o-onee-c-chan? H-h-help me..." Tears ran down Hiyoko's face as she clenched onto her guardian's form doing her best attempt to hide herself from the menacing giant's gaze. Speaking of Mahiru, the photographer wasn't faring any better herself as she tried to calm the dancer and herself down, key word tried.

"J-j-just stay c-close to me." Mahiru's hand that is holding her camera trembled violently as she took in Katakuri's appearance. Her camera was starting to slip from her hand's sweaty and shaking grasp, yet the redhead didn't took any notice.

Even if her camera falls from her hand and clattered on the floor, which it did, Mahiru still took no notice and like Hiyoko and everyone else, were left stunned, shocked, and terrified from the monstrous man.

"W-who-what the fuck?! What the fucking hell is this?!" Fuyuhiko exclaimed, as beads of sweat ran down his face. The young yakuza tried to stand tall before the giant but the illusion fell flat instantly as he felt a little shaken as he felt tiny before the towering giant.

"Get behind me, master!" Peko pushed the young yakuza boss behind her as she's preparing to unsheathe her sword to protect Fuyuhiko from any suspicious activity from the giant. As Peko puts her hand on her sheathe, she finds her hand unable to take it out, like it's froze when it touched it.

Clenching her jaw, Peko tried to take out her sword so she can protect Fuyuhiko, but the same results ended with a hand refusing to take it out. She didn't know why she couldn't take out a simple sword, as if her body is refusing to do it. Her mind is screaming at her body to obey a simple order, but it's like her body's refusing to do so.

"W-w-what the heck is that, l-like w-why?! H-h-how in the world did he did that?!" Soda screamed girlishly as he grabbing his head, terrified beyond imagination from what he's gazing at.

And for his answer to his high-pitched screaming, Teruteru only stammered and pointed a shaky finger at the giant, sweat streaming down his face, and somehow, making a little puddle of sweat underneath.

Along with the screams, Ibuki's body quivered and shook as foam formed around her mouth and her eyes rolled to the back of her head. Most of her sentences are garbled and utter babbling as her brain shut down from her overload of fear and shock.

"I-I-Impossible, w-what on God's name am I witnessing..." 'Togami' muttered to himself. Like Byakuya, the impostor despised the feeling of weakness and vulnerability. The very name of Togami is the beginning and the end, but he found himself planted on his feet: stunned, shocked, fearful, _weak._

"C-C-C-Coach, are you feeling this?" Akane turned her head to the strongest student in her class, Nekomaru, who couldn't muster the strength to crackle electricity from his eyes.

"Y-y-yeah, Owari-san, t-t-this guy...h-he's unbelievable..." Nekomaru remarked breathlessly. The boisterous coach tried to put up a fighting stance in case things so sideways but a wrenching feeling in his gut is telling him-no... _ordering_ him to not to because he'll stand not even a second against the giant. But like the battle-hungry Akane, Nekomaru's spine tingled as the feeling of having the strongest person right now in his presence will push him to greater heights to be a greater support for his class.

On the floor, Nagito Komaeda stared with awe and fear at the gargantuan man. Like the others, the white-haired luckster couldn't shake the dread he's feeling, his sweat running down his cold face, eyes drinking up the sight of Katakuri. He like the others couldn't shake the, dare he say... _despair..._ they are experiencing from the mere presence of the man.

But at the same time, he couldn't find any malicious or murderous intent from the giant. If it's anybody else, they would be dead if they're standing in front of a wicked monster. Even though the man is radiating aura like no other that'll make the combative students' deathly aura a joke, he just feels awe as he stared wordlessly at the giant.

* * *

"S-S-S-S-Shuichi...w-what is going on..." Kaede called out fearfully. Her heart's racing and her face has rivers of sweat as she gazed at the menacing form that is Charlotte Katakuri. The pianist's hands trembled and her legs wobbled like a newborn deer, overwhelmed by the presence of the man. Taking a few steps back away from the man, Kaede swallowed a large lump of saliva down her throat, which hurt her even further as she didn't realized about her dry throat.

Whatever words that came out of Kaede's mouth fell deaf unto Shuichi. The poor detective-in-training covered his face with his cap as he tried to avoid gazing at the giant. The words that are coming out of Shuichi's mouth are mutters, mumbles, and stammers.

"W-W-W-W-WHAAAAA?! A-A-A G-G-G-GIANT M-M-M-MALE...T-Tenko c-c-can't..." Tenko's face ran cold as ice as her mind can't take in what she's staring at. Her body shuddered in fear from the presence of Katakuri. His height made her feel small, his appearance made her terrified, and his presence shuddered her. Tenko's body instinctively took a few steps back as she covered her face with her arms, shying from the giant.

"H-H-H-Himiko-chan!" Tenko cried out. The young magician crouched down pulling her hat over her face to shelter herself while muttering something about her mana is useless. Tenko clenched her teeth a bit as she felt anger from the menacing male making her Himiko scared. The very thought of a scared and frightened Himiko ignited a fire inside her belly.

The Aikido fighter stood in front of the terrified Himiko and puts on a stance, albeit a shaky one, to stand defiantly against the giant. She's going to protect her dear Himiko from harm, especially degenerate males. And this giant is the king of all degenerate males.

"D-D-Don't worry, Himiko-chan. T-Tenko Chabashira will protect you from the degenerate king...hopefully." Tenko whispered the last part before trying to stare at Katakuri, who continued to stare at the students. Steadying her pose, Tenko readies herself for the fight of her life. Nothing will stop her, nothing will get pass her to get to her Himiko, nothing will ever-

* _stare*_

The fire that was in Tenko's belly was smothered instantly as she saw the crimsonhead giant gazing at her. Even though Katakuri gazed at her briefly before turning back to the students, she felt the gaze was an eternity.

Her mind is racing a thousand miles an hour screaming at her body to start her battle but her body screamed even louder to her. Then a few images raced through her head as she felt even more dread after Katakuri gazed at her. Whatever illusions or fantasies that were in Tenko's mind about her standing above an unconscious Katakuri were shattered as she felt like the biggest idiot in the world. Then one sentence fell out of her mouth that summarized every fighters' thoughts.

"I...I...He'll destroy me...he'll crush me...I can't." Tenko's knees collapsed as she fell on her knees, staring at Katakuri with newfound horror. The fiery foolishness that was in Tenko turned into shaken realization. And what's worse is that she failed to keep Himiko from feeling frightened of his presence.

The only thing Tenko could do was slump on the floor staring in horror as sweat and tears runs down her face.

"O-o-oh, g-great A-A-A-Atua, A-Angie begs of you, p-p-please protect your p-p-people! A-A-Atua, Angie begs of you!" The shuddering artist rambles on long prayers to her god as she clasped her hands together. Angie's begging in her mind that Atua will come down and save her and the students and smite the giant. But afterwards, her prayers turned into incoherent mumbling with Atua's name in it.

"H-he's taller...than any mountain...I-I had e-ever climbed..." Rantaro breathlessly commented.

Rantaro's face darkened in fear as he stared up at Katakuri. He couldn't imagine one thing in his adventures that reminded him of the menacing man. Sure, the adventurer climbed up at mountains taller than the school but gazing at a person, a _human being_ that stands at a towering height that made the mountains pebbles in comparison.

Joining with Soda, Kaito grasped his head as he screamed with his eyes bulged out and his mouth agape. "D-D-Dude, w-w-what the hell! This guy is freakin' ma-ma-massive!" The frightened astronaut screamed his head off as he stared into the most frightening, scariest person he ever met. The scariest person he met was Maki, and that is saying something. At least Kaito is cool with Maki and her death glares are frightening...but this guy. Even his normal look makes Maki's glares a kitten's cute attempt for an angry pout.

Speaking of Maki, the dark haired girl stood like a statue as sweat ran down her face. Her jaw is clenched so tight, her teeth are feeling like they're going to break. Her hands are tightened so tight, they turned pale white and threatened to bleed. Swallowing a large lump of saliva, the caretaker tried to calm herself down but like the others, she stared flabbergasted and terrified at the gigantic man.

She never felt anything as suffocating, as ominous, as menacing, as cold, as _monstrous_ ever in her life. This person...this man...this _monster_...is making her soul shiver with dread.

Miu Iruma reeled back with drool running from her mouth and snot running from her nose. She stared in complete terror as she saw the appearance of that...whatever he is. The man is fucking huge! The inventor whimpered in fear as she gazed at Katakuri, taking in every frame from the man's humongous height to his gnarly clothing...and that face. Dear fucking God, that face made her spine tingle.

The vulgar girl couldn't shake the slight burning feeling in her loins when she drank up the sight of the man's body. Those rock hard arms, them long, sexy legs, and the abs-oh dear fucking Lord~~. Her legs are wobbling like jelly as she gazed up at the gorgeous, magnificent, and terrifying crimsonhead man that is Charlotte Katakuri with fear, panic, longing, and lust.

"O-o-o-oh, dear Lord...that rock-hard chest~." The inventor drooled at the sight of Katakuri as she's doing her absolute best to drink up each and every inch of the gigantic crimsonhead. "T-those eyes...they're piercing my body...my soul..." Miu bit down on her gloved hand to stifle her moan as she's feeling like passing out from the fear and pleasure she's feeling by looking at this... _god_ of a man.

"I-I-I've never seen such...such an indescribable sight. T-this man-no, _beast_...never once have I encountered such a...terrifying discovery." The anthropologist's eyes widened in shock as they tremble after witnessing something out-of-this-world from Makoto's scarf. Korekiyo was wondering how on earth does something as ordinary as a scarf can summon such a terrifying yet intriguing specimen. Does the senior luckster possess any more supernatural attires or-no. That's definitely the giant that caused this.

Korekiyo couldn't help but form a little smile underneath the mask, albeit a shaky one, as he stared at Katakuri with a little more intrigue as to where such people like the giant's background or origin. Though the intrigue is doing its best to battle against the tingling that was running down the length of his spine in fear.

Though not as physically showing it like everybody else, Ryoma's face is stricken with indescribable terror as he felt even more insignificant and tiny when he took in Katakuri's massive. His jaw trembled and clenched as he took in more and more of the insane, towering height from Katakuri. The tennis player couldn't utter a word as he took further steps back just to see the giant's head.

The former prisoner never felt such fear and dread ever since the day his life before he was incarcerated spiraled. Ever since _that_ day...he hardly felt fear or dread from other people. This man...this thing...this monster...its mere presence caused Ryoma's mind to go blank as he can only stared with his teeth clenched and his eyes wide.

"W-w-what k-kind of m-man is G-G-G-Gonta l-looking at?!" The barefooted boy stood back as he held on his box containing his bug friends in an overprotective manner to shield them from the titanic man. Gonta knows for sure that he's the tallest amongst the rest of the students, yet he still remains gentle and kind. Gazing at this giant who towers above him, undoubtedly puts him on edge, especially if he's imagining the worst involving his bug friends.

In her mind, Tsumugi is struggling to keep her emotions in control. Her heart raced when the giant emerged like something out of a nightmare. Outwardly, her face contorted into one full of horror and despair, her brain wanting to reject the nightmarish man she's gazing at and her eyes wanting to turn away. Inside, she's clenching her jaw tight as she felt such a level of despair she never experienced before.

 _'N-no, h-he...it'll ruin everything. This monster...h-how can I b-be able to h-h-handle this thing? I-i-i-is it p-p-possible?'_ The bespectacled cosplayer continued her failed attempts of calming down in front of this massive terror, trying to reign in her panicked emotions, but every time she saw those deep pool of crimson eyes gazing at her, her body froze and her soul quivered in such horror and fear she couldn't put in words.

Joining Nagito, Kokichi sat down as he gazed up at Katakuri. The **Supreme Leader** is known to be able to shrug off any sense of danger, smile when people give him death glares, and laugh when he pulls pranks on even the most intense of students. Kokichi's face turned blue and his body trembled as he sat down on the floor to try to comfort himself. The boy long since fell down on the floor ever since that thing emerged from the scarf.

Kokichi jerked his head side to side to find anyone to comfort him until he looked up and saw the **Ultimate Maid** , Kirumi who is doing her best to control her emotions, failing to do so. Pleadingly, Kokichi raised his hand to try to get the maid's attention.

"K-K-Kirumi-san, p-p-protect m-me...I-I-I need your h-h-help..." Kokichi pleaded to the maid to get her to help him avoid the monstrous man's gaze, but his pleas fell on deaf ears as Kirumi herself couldn't fathom on what she's gazing at. Like the surpreme leader, Kirumi's face ran cold and sweat streamed down her face as she's trying her best to calm down, but it's like the giant's presence refused-commanded her not to because it'll be futile.

"There's nothing in the database that'll relate anybody in the world to him. He's...abnormal." Kibo scanned the giant to find anything or anyone he contained in his memory banks that is somewhat relatable, but unfortunately for him, he found nothing. The poor robot couldn't help but reel back a bit in fear as his mind can't process on what he's witnessing.

* * *

The gargantuan man raised his eyebrow as he takes in the students' reactions. He knew they're students, and they're expected to be shocked and taken aback, but deep down inside, he was amused after taking in their reactions to him.

"I think that aura think may have added a bit much." Makoto said, scratching his face with his finger, looking up at him. Katakuri nodded and chuckled slightly.

"Well, I can't help to be a bit of a show-off." Katakuri replied, looking down at the boy. Makoto chuckled nervously at the response.

In the crowd, Sayaka stood up and very shakily, walked up close to the podium and tried her best not to fall down again when she was near at the podium with Katakuri towering over her to talk to Makoto.

"N-N-N-Naegi-san, w-w-w-where d-d-did you m-m-met him?" Sayaka stammered, trying to wrap her brain around this.

Chuckling nervously, Makoto scratched his head. "When I saw him in the hallways, and just like you and everyone else, I was freaked out too."

"Hmph, that's an understatement." Katakuri remarked, earning a nervous laugh from Makoto and a terrified glance from Sayaka.

"Well...I honestly felt like I was staring at a building, I mean, as you can see from the height." Makoto added.

"BUILDING?! HE LOOKS LIKE A MOUNTAIN! HOW ARE YOU SO CALM ABOUT IT, DUDE?! LIKE, WE'RE ANTS!"

Katakuri turned his attention to whoever shouted that. And unsurprisingly, the source of the scream was none other than the so-called 'fortuneteller', Yasuhiro Hagakure.

The clamoring and freaking out from the other students seized when they saw Katakuri turning his full attention to one student. They couldn't help but let out a huge sigh of relief when they're glad the man's attention turned to one person.

Speaking of the person, Hiro jumped and shrank back in terror and clasped his mouth shut. No words can describe his fear and horror when he realized the monstrous man turned his attention, his _full, undivided_ attention to him after his screaming. With his face turning blue, his stomach doing flips, his hands shaking, his legs trembling, and his face sweating, Hiro wished he can melt into the floor to try to be out of sight.

"So, you're the so-called **Ultimate Clairvoyant** Makoto mentioned, Yasuhiro Hagakure, or Hiro, right?" Katakuri boomed, his tone sent shivers down everyone's spines, minus a certain luckster.

The poor fortuneteller stammered and stuttered as he tried to answer for the giant, but obviously, you know the reason why he couldn't. "Y-y-y-y-y-yeah, w-w-w-w-why, d-dude?"

Katakuri's eyes narrowed further as he peered into Hiro. The poor clairvoyant couldn't help but feel like his soul is being tormented and drilled by the crimson eyes of Katakuri. "Are you really a fortune teller who can actually see the future, or that's what you claimed it to be."

Hiro shook his head furiously as he tried to answer so Katakuri can turn his attention elsewhere. "N-n-nah nah nah, b-b-bro!" Katakuri growled a bit, making the students and his target more terrified.

Katakuri's eyes brightened a bit, taking the students once again by surprise. Katakuri peered into the future as to what the scared beyond belief fortuneteller's about to say. _**"I-I-I mean, nah man. I-I-I just do it out f-for a little change, y-you know? I-I-I mean, i-it's not like I'm an actual clairvoyant! I-I-I-I mean, I'm sorta, b-b-but that's n-nothing to b-b-bad about it, r-right man?" Hagakure explained shakily.**_

"So, you think it's best for you to scam other people into making them think you're a clairvoyant by charging them to help you for your selfish gains, practically throwing their lives into poverty by your tricks?" Katakuri asked, more like stated.

That sentence made Hiro froze like a statue. Very slowly, he turned his head to the glowering giant, who still had his piercing glare at him. "H-h-h-how d-d-did y-you k-know of w-w-what..." Reason why Hiro's froze? Is because he was about to try to explain why he became a fortune teller for some money from other people, nothing bad or anything, but to hear of what the menace said, just shot him dead.

"Because unlike you...I can see the future, the _real_ future." Katakuri glowered, terrifying and confusing Hiro and the student body.

That made the fortuneteller reeled back from the revelation. He thought he was the one with the psychic powers, and sure he uses them for some little financial aid, but to actually know that this titanic, menacing, scary man he saw in the future _before_ he revealed himself to everyone, and the fact that he can see the actual, legitimate future, the bum looking boy couldn't help but feel a bit excited that there is a legit psychic in the midst!

"W-w-wait, you mean, y-you're just like me, a clairvoyant? You mean, y-you can see the future too?" Hiro asked. Katakuri snorted in response.

"Did you have wax in your ears, boy? I'm not some fraudulent fortuneteller, psychic, or gypsy with the crystal ball nonsense. I. Can. See. The. Future. The real, authentic, oncoming future." Katakuri made sure to enunciate every word to get it through the fortuneteller's thick head.

"And no, I never use my ability for any sort of lowdown or pitiful monetary gain or greed. I use for actual, serious situations, not for fun and games."

Those words killed whatever retort that was about to form in Hagakure's throat. He felt his soul being pierced as he was being ripped apart verbally by this menacing giant. He felt ashamed by the fact that there is a real psychic in the midst that can actually see the future without resorting to any crystal ball or any form to harness his foresight. But at the same time, he couldn't help but feel a bit hopeful that this man could maybe-

"And if you think that I will teach you how to use the ability for you to abuse it for your gains, then you might as we kill that dream now." The imagination of Hiro of actually seeing into the future to prove his talents were shot down when he heard that cut-in. The flabbergasted fortuneteller stammered and stuttered as he was once again read like a book.

"W-w-wait, w-what?! Another psychic in our midst? P-preposterous!" The crimsonhead giant turned away from a terrified Hiro, who fell and sat down on the floor in huge relief as the attention has turned away. Everybody else turned to a flustered Byakuya, the real one, who pointed an accusing finger at Katakuri.

"There's absolutely no way you can see the actual future, there's absolutely no way I could possibly believe that-"

"Someone like you could know of what will transpire next!"

"Someone like you could know of what will transpire next."

The ranting from the pompous heir was cut off after he realized that the giant mimicked exactly, _exactly_ , of what's he just said at the same time. That reeled the students back even further as they just heard the giant copied Byakuya line to line without missing a beat. It looked like this 'Katakuri' told the truth, he _can_ see the actual future...which freaks them out even more.

"A TITAN WHO CAN SEE THE FUTURE?! NOOOO, WE'RE ALL GONNA DIEEEEE!" Hifumi's paranoid screaming once again set off another panic attack from the students, who are more frightened of the gigantic man. Whilst this, Katakuri closed his eyes and let out a sigh to stop getting a headache from the cries. He had his enjoyment from the first ten minutes, but now, this is now becoming a little irritating.

"Stop your whining, you're starting to annoy me." Katakuri stated calmly, yet menacingly. That earned another dead silence from the students as thoughts ran through their heads of witnessing an annoyed Katakuri going off, and Lord knows what will an _angry_ Katakuri would do to them.

Makoto looked up at the man with a concerned look. "You don't have to be that harsh towards them, you could've said it more nicely."

"I don't think nice is in my category of personality traits, Makoto."

"U-U-U-U-U-Uh...e-e-excuse m-m-m-me..."

Katakuri, Makoto, and everyone else turned their attention to whoever the shy, timid voice came from, and it belonged to one Chihiro Fujisaki, who seemed to had awoke from her blackout, along with Toko and Mikan who also woke up and still are trying their best to not faint again. When the attention is all onto her, the programmer flinched and shrank from the eyes.

One thing about Chihiro, she never get used to attention, yet alone from a whole crowd...especially with a 16-plus tall man in the midst. But the timid girl mustered enough whatever strength she has in her to ask the man a question, to try to break the ice. "M-M-M-Mr. K-K-Katakuri, r-r-right?"

Katakuri's eyes went back to neutral as he looked at the shy programmer who is trying not to run from being in his sights. "What is it?"

Chihiro flinched a bit from the tone. It wasn't harsh or frightening, but the natural tone from the giant still terrifies her. Chihiro's face ran cold as she slowly measured Katakuri's height, feeling more lightheaded as she gazed up at the giant who is still waiting for her answer. The terrified girl tried to form words in her mouth but they ended up as stammers and stutters, while the crowd were getting more on edge as they are seeing one of the shyest and smallest students to be the fourth person who ever spoke to the monstrous man.

"Open your mouth, say what's on your mind." Katakuri pressed on. Chihiro jumped when she snapped out of her stupor and stammered a bit more, until finally she was able to form words.

"H-H-H-How t-t-tall...a-a-are y-y-you?" That question made everyone wondering the same thing, they know that Katakuri is a massive man but how tall he is exactly. They wouldn't be surprised if he's 20 ft tall. Heck, if he be on his tippy-toes and he will break the ceiling of the entire gym! As Chihiro and the student are waiting for him to answer, Katakuri replied.

"I see that one of the main things why you're terrified of me is my height. And like Makoto, you never saw anyone or anything like me before." The students nodded dumbly in response, with a few "no kiddings" and "tell me about it's". "Alright, I'll let you, Chihiro, right?" The programmer nodded softly. "Who among you is the tallest in your group, without me?"

The students turned and looked at one another, even the ones like Sakura, Nekomaru, and Mondo are measuring their height to find out, but in their minds, they don't want to be in the center of attention. That is until...

"G-G-Gonta is tallest among students." Everyone turned and looked at the **Ultimate Entomologist** , Gonta Gokuhara, who is sweating nervously as he felt the many eyes of everyone. Katakuri looked at the barefooted bug collector and compared his height to all the others who are above average.

"Gonta Gokuhara, is that it?"

"Y-Yes sir, G-Gonta is tallest among the students, even taller than N-Nekomaru-senpai and Ogami-senpai." Gonta replied nervously. Katakuri nodded as he measured his height to the others and confirmed it.

"So Gonta here is about 6'6, right?" Everyone including Gonta was taken aback when the giant measured how exactly tall is Gonta, but they still wanted to know how tall Katakuri is.

"Well, then..." And to what it appears to everybody an intense glare, to Makoto, it is one of Katakuri's eye smirks. He took a little time to read his eyes for emotions.

"Add that to ten feet and two inches and that will be how tall I am." Katakuri stated, booming slightly. Makoto couldn't help but smile as he watched everyone counted in their heads of the little addition until...well, you know.

"S-S-S-Sixteen feet and e-eight inches t-t-tall..." The students' faces paled when they came with the same height measurement as they gawked at his towering figure. Now with the confirmation of his height, the fear and dread in the group became more apparent as two of the students fainted, and you all know who they were.

The average and height challenged students couldn't shake the feeling that they are being stared at by a monster. A gigantic, frightening, gnarly, 16 feet and 8 inches tall man, who can literally step on them if he so desires, making them feel even more tiny that before.

"Now, any other questions you like to ask?" Katakuri offered. He saw one student raised their hand shakily and he turned to the **Ultimate Pianist** Kaede who has a look of the typical dumbfounded and shell-shocked expressions but Katakuri noted that there is also a hint of curiosity in her face, as she raised her hand after he offered the students any questions, which would've been longer.

"I-I would like to know, M-Mr. K-Katakuri, w-what class are you in, or what school you came from? I mean, i-if it's not too much to ask from you, i-it's just that we never met, saw, or heard anyone like you before." Kaede asked, earning more curious questions and looks from the students, who also wanted to know where this...man came from.

Makoto looked up at Katakuri and thought of what will the giant will say. Knowing a bit of Katakuri, he knows he can't tell them he's Japan because no one, literally, _no one_ in the country of Japan has met or heard anyone who is massive and intense as Katakuri.

 _'I can't let them know of my actual whereabouts, my appearance and entrance was too much for them to handle. This Japan country I know certainly it doesn't have people like me before. Speaking of which, I need to know the history of this country, the world in fact if I need a good grasp of where exactly I am. All I know from Makoto was from his school, the prestigious Hope's Peak and the history, that's about it. Can't be too comfortable though, besides Makoto, some of the stares have wariness and alert.'_ Katakuri thought to himself. He decided to be a bit vague so it won't be too out of this world.

"Well, since you put it that way, I'm more of a foreign exchange student from outside your country." That sort of eased the students a bit since they all agreed that he must be an international student.

"R-really, t-then which country d-did you came from? N-not even Novoselic had someone like you." Katakuri looked at the **Ultimate Princess** Sonia who also is curious of where he come from.

"Let's just say I was from the east, not in terms of your country's boundaries." Katakuri replied.

"Oh, really? Does your home country has more people like you?" Sonia asked further.

"You could put it like that to say the least."

"U-uh, excuse me for a bit. W-what is your talent?" Katakuri turned and looked at Hajime, who also wanted to know a bit more about him. In Hajime's mind, he's certain that someone like Katakuri has to have a very impressive talent. He won't be a surprised if he's the best in his class or something of the sort.

At that question, Katakuri closed his eyes. "I dropped my talent, because frankly, I'm not that fond of being labeled."

That caught Hajime and everybody minus the luckster off-guard. Dropping his talent because he don't like labels?! Who the heck does something like that? Surely anyone in the world would want to be recognized by something they excel at above the average. Hearing that for the first time from a student definitely reeled them back.

"H-huh, what do you mean by that?" Hajime asked, perplexed about Katakuri's decline from his title. One thing about Hajime, the boy is really desiring to have one talent and being able to be recognized as a student and not as a reserved. He wanted at least discover his talent by any means. Knowing of the further questions, Katakuri decided to phrased it into one sentence to spare the time of multiple questions of being asked to him.

"I find it really dull to be labeled by something I excel at, especially if I can do one thing. Even more if I know that there are people out there that are more proficient at the same talent I possessed. Though, coming here wasn't by choice, I just wanted to be somewhere a bit more free. Frankly, being labeled from that is really dumb."

A few gasps and a few flinches were the response to the answer. Looks of shock, horror, and fear were spread throughout the crowd. Some are a bit irritated that an outsider finds being given a title from something he's excellent at stupid. They wanted to rebut him but they couldn't find the words necessary to counter his words.

You have to think for a moment: majority of the students here have to fight, strive, earn, and risk their _lives_ just to earn such a title and to be given to be a student in the most prestigious and highly regarded academy in the country, where many other students lost practically their livelihoods _just_ to step foot on its grounds!

And to hear someone like him saying it's stupid to be labeled over something you good at, they can't help but feel offended, miffed, or hurt by that. They finally found something they're great at, something that'll make them reach for the top!

But yet...at the same time...those little seeds of doubt from those words...even the more elite students couldn't help it.

Having one talent... _one_ measly talent? And being given a title for it...not knowing there may be others superior to them...

That brought their spirits down.

"But don't let it get you down, you'll have time to mull about it later on. Right now, we need to focus on the task at hand." Katakuri assured them, bringing them out of their muck.

Makoto watched the scene with interest as a small smile formed on his face. He expected the classmates to ask Katakuri any out-of-this-world questions like 'is he an alien' or something out of the ordinary. He's somewhat glad that they recovered from their hysterical and hilarious reactions to him, though he'll keep in mind that it'll take time for them to warm up around him, especially to the more difficult ones. The arrogant Togami and the aloof Kirigiri for instance.

"Ooh ooh ooh, I got one for you!"

Katakuri turned and looked at the student who called for him with energy and gusto. That person was none other than Akane Owari, the **Ultimate Gymnast**. The hazelnut girl sported a curious yet eager grin on her face as she looked at Katakuri with newfound excitement. The giant raised his eyebrow at the girl's attitude. Unlike the rest of the students who have faces of the usual terror, fear, and anxiety, Akane's face does carry that nervousness but at the same time, it has readiness and eagerness to it.

"I really really really really _really_ want to know, Katakuri." Akane raised her arm while slightly bouncing on her toes in excitement. "Just how strong are you?"

Sakura, Mondo, Nekomaru, Peko, Maki, Tenko, Gonta, and Kibo turned their heads at the gymnast when that question came out of her mouth. They also wanted to know just how strong this Katakuri is. They already knew that he's the strongest person out of all of them and can take them out even if there's ten or twenty of them. But like Akane, they and the rest of the students wanted to know just how strong this giant is.

Katakuri knew that the girl will ask him about his strength. He figured that he will be asked a question that relates to his strength. The crimsonhead giant took a little time to measure his strength to students who are combatants. Just as he expected, in his weakened state, he is still the most powerful person in this gym by miles. But Katakuri is no fool, he never underestimates his opponents. He took a little time to observe the fighters and can measure their strengths, he'll learn more of their full combat prowess later down the line, either by their choice or his.

Deciding to be a little humorous, Katakuri asked the eager gymnast a question. "You're awfully excited, aren't you?"

Akane grinned wider while hopping up and down a bit. "Just please tell me already, man."

"Owari, calm yourself." Nekomaru turned his head as he tried to calm the overexcited girl down. The coach knew Akane, she can be very hardheaded and foolish whenever it comes down to fights or meeting new fighters. While deep down, Nekomaru wanted to know how strong Katakuri is and how to make himself stronger, he's not foolish to outright ask him about the giant's power.

But the coach's worried words fell unto Akane's deaf ears as she gazed at Katakuri in excitement. The ecstatic gymnast could hardly contain her giddiness of feeling Katakuri's strength.

"Well, you know what the results are, right Akane?" Katakuri asked rhetorically.

"Well, I just want to know how strong are you exactly. I know you're the strongest out of everyone here." Akane replied, growing a little impatient of the man not directly answering her question.

Katakuri raised his eyebrow at Akane's forwardness for his strength. Knowing telling his strength is redundant, he asked Akane in another question. "Why do you want to know so badly?"

Despite the sweat on her face, Akane still kept her grin as she pointed at Katakuri. "I, Akane Owari, the **Ultimate Gymnast**..."

Katakuri's eyes widen a bit as he saw of what Akane will proclaim.

"Challenges you for a fight!"

Gasps were heard through the entire student body. The fighters' turned their heads at the foolishness of the gymnastic girl. They knew he'll decimate them if he wants to tell them so, but why would she want to challenge someone who is...what else is there to say.

Makoto's eyes widened as he heard someone out of all the shell-shocked students and wary atmosphere, challenged someone as Charlotte Katakuri for a fight. He hoped that Akane's forwardness didn't offend Katakuri or made him irritated. The ahoge boy knew that if every single fighter fight Katakuri now at their full strengths, the fight will be over in a matter of seconds. He's was a bit surprised when Chihiro, Kaede, and Sonia asked him questions, but they were just questions. But hearing Akane challenged the most menacing, intimidating, tallest, and most frightening person they _ever_ met in their lives for a fight. A fight!

Katakuri took a good look at Akane. The man was honestly a bit intrigued at the girl's challenge to him. Normally, he'll find it a waste of time since it's obvious that a fight between them will be like a mouse trying to fight against a lion. He wanted to know why would she wanted to challenge him despite knowing the obvious outcome of the fight.

"Why do you want to fight against me. You obviously know the outcome of our little match, so I find it a waste of time of challenging me." Katakuri states factually.

Akane may not be smart but she obviously knew what the outcome be, but she didn't care. She wanted to find out his strength herself, even if it costs her broken bones. The battle hungry girl still sported the grin on her face. "I know of the outcome and I know you can crush us in one blow, but I just wanted to test that myself, what's one little fight would hurt?"

"And that's the reason you wanted to go at me?" Katakuri asked. The **Ultimate Gymnast** nodded vigorously in response.

"Owari, stop with this foolishness! You know you can't beat him but why do you still want to go against him? I don't want to see you with broken bones or bleeding on the floor because of your incompetence." Nekomaru gritted his teeth at the hardheaded girl, trying to get her to back down from the challenge. As much as he want to know of the crimsonhead's strength himself, he's not stupid to actually challenge him for a fight knowing what will the end result will be.

"I advise that you listen to your coach, Miss Owari. I don't want to see you in a condition beyond medical help from your foolhardy behavior." The giant added, also wanting to get the girl to back down because honestly, it'll be a waste of whatever reserves of his strength left, and he don't want to spend more time with brats. He can only get used around Makoto as it is.

Akane frowned impatiently. "But still, I wanna to know just how strong are you, so please fight me!"

Katakuri really wanted to say no but if he did, the girl would beg and plead to fight her all day and he didn't want that headache. To spare him the trouble of getting a migraine from the annoying gymnast, if the deep sigh was the form of his little annoyance.

That angered the team manager as he turned to Akane with furrowed eyes and gritted teeth. "Miss Akane Owari, you must stop this foolishness right now or you're gonna-"

"Alright, fine."

Those two words stopped whatever rant that the coach was going to yell at Akane. The students' and Akane's eyes widened as they heard those words that pretty much sealed her fate. As the students felt their stomachs dropped to their feet, Akane's heart raced and her emotions soared as she heard those words. Her grin threatened to split her face as she felt like a kid in a candy store.

"Y-you mean it, y-you're gonna fight me?!" The gymnast asked ecstatically. It's taking every single molecule of her self-control to not jump up and do backflips in joy, but she wanted to hear it a second time.

"Yes, you got yourself a match." The crimsonhead man replied neutrally.

Makoto, who was shocked to hear that Akane challenged Katakuri for fight, was even more dumbfounded when he heard Katakuri said yes to the challenge. The luckster looked up at the man who had his eyes closed when Akane squealed and cheered giddly along with Nekomaru's failed attempts to calm her down.

"Are you sure about this, Katakuri-san?" Makoto asked nervously. The giant looked down at the worried luckster and gave him a reassuring nod.

"Don't worry, I won't hurt her way to bad. Just to give her a good lesson." That eased Makoto's worries a bit for Akane's well-being, but he's still a bit uncertain of a fight between him and Akane. It might as well be a fight between a deer against a tiger. As if the slight gulp wasn't enough to fully ease his worries for the gymnast.

Trying to get his mind from the meaningless challenge, Katakuri took a look at the gym. At best, he's about a few feet from his head reaching the ceiling, not including the stage he's on. He's thinking about exploring more of this building to get a familiar use of the environment and the maximum height limit. He knew that he'll have to adjust his size to walk freely without worrying about his height for once being a hindrance. As much as he don't want to change his height, he has to adapt to the surroundings of this building unless he's around an area where he can reach at least around 10 feet or more.

Plus, as a bonus it'll make his inclusion with the students a bit more appropriate to ease their necks of craning to his head over his titanic legs, definitely helpful for Makoto.

As the students clamor more about the fight and wanting to know about Katakuri, the giant turned to Makoto, who was trying to calm Sayaka down as she is still trying her best to calm herself from the crimsonhead man.

"Hey Makoto." The luckster stopped his attempt of calming Sayaka and craned up to look at Katakuri as to what he's called him for.

"I'm planning on changing my size to be more comfortable for me and the rest of the students. I figured your neck is getting a little sore from your craning." Katakuri states, taking note on Makoto's rubbing of his neck.

*chuckles* "Well, if you say it like that...it'll be a bit helpful that you change your height. I doubt that the other areas of this building can fit your height." The ahoge boy chuckled nervously, earning a hum from the giant.

Sayaka's eyes widened when she heard that Makoto's friend is going to adjust his height to make himself a bit shorter. In her mind, she wanted nothing more than for the frightening man to change his size so it'll make him look less monstrous and titanic, but at the same time, she's more terrified from the freakish abilities Makoto's friend possess. Just what is he?

"Well, it's settled then." Katakuri and Makoto nodded at each to get the ball rolling as Katakuri cleared his throat to stop the excited conversations and mutterings to gain their attention once again. Glancing left to right, Katakuri continued.

"I have come to make a little adjustment around here." The students were puzzled and more wary as they heard him saying about an adjustment. Adjustment to what? "Would you think it'll be much better if I adjust my height so you can be a little more comfortable, I know that looking at me are hurting your necks." Katakuri remarked.

Many voices of soft agreement are heard whey they thought of that. Even though they are yet to recover from Katakuri's entrance, hearing of him turning into that white goo for actual reason instead of frightening them relieved them a bit, a tiny bit. The response Katakuri got were nods, a few 'yeses', 'no kiddings', and 'definitelies'.

Katakuri closed his eyes. "Very well." The giant unfolded his arms and focused a bit of his strength into his Devil Fruit, which thankfully, he can still utilize, for a bit. Everybody took a step back as they watched Katakuri's skin color changed into white and his definitions blurred a bit as he's slowly turning into that white ooze. Makoto took a few steps back to give changing giant some room as he remembered how Katakuri fitted into his scarf. He still remembered that feeling of shock, little fear, but above all, awe, when he remembered. He'll never forget such a feeling.

* * *

 _ **Two hours ago in the hallway**_

 _"So how would it go?"_

 _Makoto looked up at Katakuri, who agreed to get along with the scare with a raised eyebrow as to how this'll go down. Katakuri hummed a bit in agreement. At first, he thought he's going to walk into the gym ominously with his boots echoing from the hallway into the gym doors but obviously the gym doors are way too small. He can't even squat to go through._

 _The luckster puts a finger on his chin as he thinks of a few ways. "Obviously you can't go through the gym doors because well, you know. Would I be able to lead the students into the hallway until they see you-no, that'll be stupid. It'll be more of a startle than a scare."_

 _Katakuri pondered a moment of how will it go down until, it clicked. His eyes widened in realization of how the scare will go down. Before he gets to Makoto, the giant closed his eyes and focused on his body. The phantom pain from his side flares up when he focuses on his strength, making the giant to hold back a slight pained grunt. Katakuri harnessed all his strength unto his body, resulting in the same phantom pain getting worse and worse, earning more attempts of holding back pained grunts. After a few moments, Katakuri was about to do it another time until-_

 _He felted his head molting a bit. He saw his arm turning white. Underneath his scarf, Katakuri gave a little smirk. He's glad that he can still use his Devil Fruit abilities wherever he is, although weakened but he can still utilize it._

 _'Perfect, I can still use my **Mochi-Mochi** abilities. Obviously I'm not at full strength to fully utilize my skill set, the best I can do is morph and change shape and size, which is appropriate for now. I can't use it too much in one day because trying to get my ability to work is stressing enough as it is. I need to do more training to get myself back in peak. But that's for another time. I honestly can't believe I'm doing this, I still couldn't believe that I would do something childish too, but then again...I was a child too, wasn't I?' Katakuri mused to himself._

 _"Or maybe I can perhaps tell the students that you're-"_

 _"I got it, Makoto." Whatever ramblings the luckster was having stopped as he looked up at Katakuri who sported a tiny cheeky look in his eyes. That earned a slight smile from the ahoge boy._

 _"Oh yeah, what is it, Katakuri-san?" Makoto asked curiously._

 _Katakuri pointed at his scarf, which puzzled the luckster. "You're going to wear my scarf."_

 _..._

 _..._

 _Eh?_

 _Wearing his scarf? But isn't that supposed to cover his face, or protect whatever wrong's with his mouth? Makoto's head tilted in confusion from the idea that came from Katakuri. How is he going to wear his scarf? What will it do?_

 _"You're going to wear my scarf and this hat." Katakuri picked up the fedora that was on the floor. "You're going to walk in the gym wearing these two, and obviously, everyone is going to introduce themselves once you come in, right?" Makoto nodded, trying to aim as to what Katakuri is getting at. "Then, as soon as everybody finished introducing themselves, you're going to get their attention and let them know that they are missing one more student. You're going to be the center of attention, take off the scarf and the fedora and I will emerge slowly. That'll make them terrified out of their little minds."_

 _That earned a head scratch from Makoto, who followed most of the plan but still couldn't wrap his head around one aspect: Katakuri himself. How would he be able to show himself after he removes the scarf and the hat? What would he do, appear out of nowhere?_

 _"But how would you be able to reveal yourself to the students? And I know you can't give me your scarf now." The luckster queried. Katakuri let out a low chuckle, which unnerved the ahoge boy. That's the second time he's heard a chuckle out of the menacing, intimidating Charlotte Katakuri. Just what is he getting at?_

 _And unfortunately for him, Katakuri answered. "Watch this."_

 _In a freakishly, out-of-a-nightmare fashion, Makoto's eyes widened as he saw Katakuri closed his eyes and his entire skin color changed from tan to a pale white. He watched as his clothing attire also turned white except for the scarf and the fedora. The luckster took a few steps back as he watched in shell-shocked silence as he saw Katakuri's body slowly wiggling and moving. His blood ran cold when he heard gurgling, sloshing noises from whatever Katakuri is doing._

 _Makoto's mind tried to keep up with his emotions when he just saw Katakuri's body changed into a sticky, viscous white substance and began to morph. He watched in pure shock, terror, and amazement as he saw Katakuri's turning his body into white ooze and his size began to shrink. His eyes drank up the mesmerizing sight of the giant doing something that is out of a sci-fi movie. The ooze continued to shrink further and further until the only things remained of whatever's left of Katakuri are the scarf and the fedora._

 _Shakily, Makoto walked up to the scarf, scared to even touch it. He looked at the massive, scruffy scarf and carefully looked at every inch of the scarf. The scarf reached up to his waist._

 _"K-K-Katakuri-san? W-where did you go?" Makoto called out. He felt like he's the only one in this hallway, with the only thing remaining of the giant are his scarf and hat. Raising a shaky hand, he reached up to the scarf until he felt his hand brushed against the fur. Instinctively, the luckster pulled back his hand. The scarf was fluffy and strangely soft, and it has a...slight sweetness...to it?_

 _Shaking his fear, Makoto reached up to the scarf and this time, he fully grasped the scarf and peered into the hole and saw nothing until he looked at the inner sides of the scarf. He saw a wrapping line of white ooze in the inner rim, looking like a...doughnut? That's Katakuri right now, a small white doughnut?_

 _The nervous luckster remembered Katakuri's plan of involving his scarf and hat, and now he knows why. Using both hands this time, Makoto lifted up the scarf, which is slightly heavy despite it's lightness to it, obviously to fit around Katakuri's massive shoulders. As he picked up the scarf, he felt the scarf unwrapping itself with the white doughnut unwrapping with it. Shaking the slightly funny sight, Makoto picked up the unwrapped scarf and began to wrap it around his neck._

 _It took a while because of its enormous size but he finally managed to wrap the scarf around his neck, well, more of his shoulders since the scarf looked like it will swallow him whole. Despite the slight heaviness, the scarf is very light and somewhat comfortable. Makoto chuckled a bit when he took a little time looking at himself with this unnaturally large scarf and held back a giggle of imagining everyone's faces when they see this._

 _"Are you finished ogling yourself, boy?" a deep voice remarked._

 _Makoto jumped a bit when he heard Katakuri. He looked around the hallway trying to find him until he realized where he is. Peering under the scarf, he saw the white doughnut that is wrapped as the same way as the scarf._

 _The luckster chuckled nervously at the slight jab. "Sorry, Katakuri-san. Your scarf feels a bit heavy, but very comfortable."_

 _The doughnut hummed. "It does that. Now, are you ready?" Makoto's reply was a determined smile. He picked up the fedora and walked to the gym doors, he heard many voices that are in the gym, knowing that everyone is present except them._

 _The fedora that was in Makoto's hand along the trek to the gym doors is now rested upon his head. The luckster grinned, finally answering Katakuri's question._

 _"Of course, let's get this started!" Two hands pressed on the gym doors and the squeaking of the doors echoed throughout the hall and gym as the **Ultimate Luckster** walked up in the gym to meet new people and faces ready to greet them to his new friend._

* * *

Makoto let out a small smile as he watched the mesmerizing sight of Katakuri morphing his size. He'll never get tired of seeing him do that, nor ever will be.

The students watched in shocked silence and awe as they saw Katakuri once again morphing his body to make his height a little less intimidating. His entire body turned white as he shrinks down from his gigantic height. The gurgling of the white ooze filled the gym and sent shivers through everyone's spines, including Makoto, who still couldn't shake the feeling of amazement as he gazed as such an otherworldly sight. They watched as the titan shrank down to a more appropriate height as his colors returned back as he is now looking a lot less menacing from his original height.

As of now, Makoto is standing a little below Katakuri's waist as he looked up at the new Katakuri, who is still incredibly tall even without his enormous height. Crimson eyes opened as they peered at the students who are amazed of what they just saw. There's no denying it, they just witnessed it again. They saw Makoto's new friend shrinking down to adjust his height. No dream, no illusion, no tricks, no pranks, it's all real. Too real, that scares them the most...that what they just saw, felt, and heard, was all real. They are all asking the same question:

Just what is the hell is this guy?

"So, is this more appropriate?" Katakuri asked, folding his arms.

 _End of chapter_

* * *

 ** _A/N:_ _AAAAAAAAND CREDITS! Oh, my goodness! At long last, the fifth awaited chapter is finally here!_**

 ** _First of all, I am not dead nor ever will be. I will finish this story and I'm keeping that promise. Second of all, no amount of words can express how sorry I am for making you lovely people wait for a month for this to come out. It's just a lot of things happening at once: college, family matters, work, times of demotivation, times of doubt and all that. There's even some times I just want to flat out quit this story and just move on._**

 ** _BUT, THAT AIN'T HAPPENING, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! NOT ON MY WATCH! So I hope you understand, I just needed a good break and recollect my thoughts and my motivation and come back to this story with new enthusiasm and motivation. I hope this chapter is funny, intriguing, and coherent. If I missed any points, if some are OOC or whatnot, please PM me and I will do better in the future. I'm already on chapter 6 and I'm planning on making this a mix of the Despair and non-Despair AU._**

 ** _Third, the hiatus was a time for me to completely watch the Danganronpa: Animation series, all three parts. I've yet to finish halfway of watching the game version, I'm on the Goodbye Despair, halfway finished with it. Just needed a little time to have full knowledge of the series, events, characters, trials, everything in the Danganronpa universe to make this story more coherent._**

 ** _Fourth, I decided to change Katakuri's height because we all know, he's titanic and with that height being throughout the story, it'll be ridiculous for the classes to get a cramp on their necks for them to talk to Katakuri. So I decided make him shrink him down a bit, and don't worry, don't come at me with weapons or flaming arrows, he'll still can morph into his original height, I just made it more appropriate for the story and interactions for the students, especially the shorter ones. He'll be around 7'8 or 8', somewhere in between._**

 ** _Fifth, I'm going to establish some rules regarding Katakuri: His mere existence in the Danganronpa makes him the most powerful man in the world, and his DF and Haki abilities add in on the brokenness. So I added some rules in regarding to his DF and Haki usage, to make him still the strongest but not completely invincible, and I will make usage of his power after his defeat from Luffy. Here they are:_**

 ** _Observation Haki: He can see around 30 seconds or a minute max at full power, it's never known how far he can see, but he can see slightly. Right now, he'll only see about 20 seconds, but he'll be a bit strained if he uses it multiple times in one day._**

 ** _Armament Haki: Without the usage of normal Armament, Katakuri can still be able to destroy walls and stuff. He'll only use normal Armament Haki levels until he trained himself more for him to utilize Block Mochi full power, which will take a while concerning how his fight againt Luffy and being in the Danganronpa world nerfed him._**

 ** _Conqueror's Haki: This will be like a one-time thing, maybe two, hadn't fully decided on yet. Earlier, he didn't used Conqueror's Haki, but more like flexing his aura, to intimidate the students._**

 ** _Mochi-Mochi Fruit: He'll be using this ability regularly but not at full power. Right now, the only things he can do with it are morphing his height or dodging. He'll be using Flowing Mochi, Unstoppable Doughnuts later down the line._**

 ** _Any excess use of his abilities will severely weaken him and he'll be needing a few days, maybe a week or two to fully replenish his already low Haki. He'll be training by himself or with others to strengthen his Haki and DF powers._**

 ** _Oh, and as you can tell, I'm making Akane challenge Katakuri. One, for obvious reasons, to let Katakuri flex his power a bit to show to her, the students, and the fighters just how many leagues they are apart, so get ready for the curb stomp. And two, to give Akane some development, to get her to be a bit more wise about fighting. In my opinion, Akane is among the strongest of the students, but she lacks control, technique, and skill. So the one-shot will definitely make her step up her A-game, along with the students to face new challenges along the way that'll test their strength._**

 ** _Whew, I'm glad I established those and will stick to them. Can't have an already broken character be more broken, and like Katakuri, everyone will have more arcs with him and I already have them along the way. Makoto, Chihiro, Mikan, and Mukuro for prime examples. If you have others in mind, please let me know in the reviews and thank you so much for your patience and reading of the story. LIKE, FAVORITE, FOLLOW, AND REVIEW, NO FLAMES PLEASE. I will update as soon as I can to keep the story rolling and not be on hiatus, because like you, I can't stand them._**

 ** _See you next time on the Ultimate Big Brother!_**

 **Beta-readers**

 **King Carlos**

 **Shadow of Life**

 **(If you like to be a beta-reader, you know the drill)**

 _ **P.S. (I re-edited it because I missed Ishimaru's reaction to Katakuri, but it's added now. My bad, now the whole gang reacted~)**_


	7. Chapter 6: Dogtooth pt 2

**Chapter 6: Dogtooth pt. 2**

"Nice to meet you"-speech

' _Let's go back'-_ thoughts/flashback

*bang*-onomatopoeia

 **Ultimate-** title

 _ **"I can see the future"-**_ Katakuri's Future/Monokuma

* * *

 **Day One**

 **First Floor**

 **Gym**

 **10:30 a.m.**

The entire gym fell in stunned silence once again as they saw the newcomer, Makoto Naegi's new 'friend', Charlotte Katakuri morphed his body in front of everyone to adjust his height for a little more comfort, if one can call it that. Like before, the group cannot wrack their brains as to what they've just witnessed.

They had witnessed someone, or _something_...with the appearance of something out of a nightmare with the height of a freaking building, changed his size to be more fitting yet he's still towered over them with his approximate 8 ft height. They still couldn't believe of what they just seen, they wished they wanted it to be a dream, or a trick, or some kind of illusion...but sadly, what they saw was real.

Katakuri folded his arms after his height adjustment and silently let out a sigh of relief. _'That should be appropriate enough, I need to save the rest of my strength and power whenever it's absolutely necessary, can't do it all in one day.'_

"Is this better, Makoto?" The giant asked.

The luckster turned his head to Katakuri and felt more relaxed now that he's around above average height, still gigantic though, but not as ridiculous from his original height. Makoto scratched his face as he chuckled a bit. "Yeah, to be honest. My neck was starting to get a little cramped by looking up. You're still the tallest though."

Katakuri nodded in response before turning his attention back to the students, who are still in stunned silence after they just saw the monstrous man who once again turned into that white goo to change his height. Though deep down, they are extremely relieved that he dropped from his gigantic, ridiculous, colossal height to a more natural height, but he's still pretty tall nevertheless.

"Umm...e-excuse me, K-Katakuri?" The giant and everyone turned to whoever wanted to gain Katakuri's attention and it's once again, Hajime Hinata. The taller ahoge boy steadied himself after he received the stares once again to ask Katakuri another question.

"I-I was wondering...like really wondering." Hajime really, really, _really_ wanted to know how in the heck Makoto's new friend was able to do all that abnormal, weird, and otherworldly stuff. "Just what in the heck is that white stuff you turn into? Does it involve your future sight or your talent, or is it something else entirely?"

Katakuri expected someone to ask him a question regarding to his abilities, and he's not further surprised that someone like Hajime to ask such one. Since he already told them of his future sight, he might as well tell them of his abilities, though the giant was wise not to reveal them of his Devil Fruit abilities.

"Well, if you must know...it is something else entirely." Katakuri replied, reeling him and everyone back by the revelation. Does he have two talents, two abilities?! They never heard or met or saw anyone who had multiple talents, especially if it involves the white stuff he turned into earlier. Is it some kind of slime, some kind of ooze, some kind of poisonous substance?

Just what in the hell is that white stuff anyway?

Even Makoto wanted to know just what exactly is the white stuff Katakuri can turn into? The luckster hadn't been told exactly what it was but when he was wearing his scarf, he recalled smelling something vaguely sweet besides the slight smell of doughnuts. Almost like an earthy sweet aroma to the scarf...he couldn't put his finger on it. He didn't asked him earlier of what the white stuff is because he don't want to be into his friend's business.

"That white stuff I can turn into is..." Katakuri began ominously. The students are all ready to know the white stuff this giant can turn into. Is it some kind of deadly slime? Some kind of cement? Or maybe it is something like-

"Mochi."

...

...

...

...

Eh?

...

HUH?! WAIT, WHAT?!

...

...

"MOCHI?!"

Of all things you expect on what the white stuff this ginormous, menacing man can turn into...out of everything in the whole world that Charlotte Katakuri can become...mochi.

Everybody screamed out incredulously. Looks of utter confusion and shock were plastered on their faces as they heard the name of the white stuff this menacing man can turn into. Like, huh? Mochi? Sweetened rice mochi, New Year's Festival mochi? They thought he can turn into some kind of dangerous, all-powerful substance, not an everyday treat such as mochi!

"W-wha-? You can turn into mochi...like _our_ mochi?" Even Makoto is surprised when he heard the name of the white stuff Katakuri can turn into. He thought he was weird when he first met him and he would've expected the white stuff to be more dangerous, but something as harmless as a sticky, sweetened rice dessert?

"You heard correct, Makoto." The crimsonhead looked at the surprised and perplexed luckster. "I can be able to turn or produce mochi. It may sounds ridiculous to you, but it is important to me."

"W-well, I mean it's like...I thought that white stuff look vaguely familiar. I thought it was some kind of glue or ooze at first because it looked so sticky and thick." Makoto remarked.

"But how is it possible for someone be able to transform their body into a substance, like nobody is ever capable of doing something like that! Does that involve your talent?!" Hiro exclaimed as many others are agreeing with him. "A-a-are you s-s-some kind of s-sorcerer by any means?" The clairvoyant stammered fearfully.

The crimsonhead held back an eyeroll from the boy's idiotic assumptions. "No, Hagakure, I am not a sorcerer or any other supernatural nonsense you are thinking of right now. My ability does relate to my talent if you put it that way."

"So...do you do it by magic?"

Katakuri and everyone turned to look at the person who asked the question and Katakuri found out the owner of the question was none other than Himiko, the **Ultimate Magician**. The young redhead had a look of curiosity when she heard that the man can produce mochi. Himiko couldn't help but feel curious to know if he's a magician too. Besides...she along with everyone else watched Katakuri emerged from a scarf and reduced his size, which is nothing more than impossible. Even she can't be able to appear out of something as small as a scarf or reduce her size.

"Seriously, magic? Even for someone like me, magic and all that is just a bunch of mumbo-jumbo." Hiro remarked as he chuckled at Himiko's question.

That didn't suit well for the magician, who huffed as she pointed at the wild haired fortuneteller. "Magic does exist!"

Hiro chuckled at Himiko. "Well, sure, I mean I'm pretty sure the guy doesn't believe in magic like everyone else with common sens-"

"Yasuhiro."

The fortuneteller jumped when he turned and his face turned a slight blue when the menacing crimsonhead glared at him. "I don't think nobody asked for your two cents. This is between me and her, so keep your words to yourself, got it?" Katakuri glowered with authority.

Hiro stammered as he raised his arm like a soldier's salute. "Y-y-y-y-yes, s-s-s-sir!" Himiko pulled a smug smirk when she saw that the loudmouthed fortuneteller got chewed out by the gigantic man.

Katakuri turned his attention back to the magician. "Now then, what do you mean by that, Himiko right?"

The magician nodded her head. "Nyeh, do you produce mochi with magic or mana? Does it also help with your appearance from the scarf and your height change? Are you a magician, like me?" Himiko tilted her head in an almost cute manner when she asked Katakuri. This didn't suit well for a certain Aikido Master, who looked at Himiko with concern and gave the disgraceful, gigantic male a sharp look.

Katakuri let out a slight chuckle at her questions. "Not quite. I use no tricks, no illusions, no smoke, no mirrors. Everything I did was all natural, the mochi came from me." Himiko's eyes widened in wonder when she heard that everything this man did was all natural. Maybe she'll learn how to perform her magic abilities without the use of any form or medium or linkage.

"Nyeh, you mean it? You can do all that naturally? No other forms of channeling or linkage?" The magician asked curiously.

"Hmm, that's right."

Himiko's mind began to cloud with all forms of new ideas when she heard that this man, a very scary one, can be able to manipulate his body into mochi naturally as if it's second nature without any form of channeling or medium to help him. The magician pondered on whether she can be able to manipulate her magic the same way as Katakuri, naturally and without any help.

"So...is it possible for me to produce my mana naturally too?" Himiko asked, poking her chin. "Would I be able to do my tricks without relying on objects and stuff?"

"And this 'mana' you speak of, is that some kind of life force or energy of a kind?" Katakuri queried.

"Nyeh, along those lines, yes."

"I don't know about all of that, it is possible...maybe. Anything is possible." Katakuri answered, making Himiko giggle a bit. In all honesty, he's feeling a little warmer to the young girl. Sure, she's a bit on the eager side when it comes to magic, but she's a good kid, probably another one he can handle on being around.

However, the girl standing next to her...*sigh* he knew she'll be a pain later on down the line, if the occasional side stink eyes were an indication of it.

"I've got one for ya, man." A gruff voice called out. Katakuri looked at the next person and saw Mondo Owada, the **Ultimate Biker**. Like Himiko, he also has a look of curiosity, but he looked like he's not interested on his ability.

"And what is it, Mondo?" Katakuri asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I just want to know, what kind of biker group are you in? That get-up looks gnarly as hell, are you some kind of leader or something?" Mondo queried.

"MISTER OWADA-SAN, LANGUAGE PLEASE!" The red-eyed hall monitor shouted, not pleased at Mondo's use of language. Of course, Ishimaru's shouting didn't set well with the hot tempered biker.

"I don't have time to listen to your barking, pointdexter! As you can plainly see, I'm asking this man a question, so DON'T FUCKING INTERRUPT ME!" Mondo barked angrily. That angered Ishimaru, who didn't back down at the slightest but walked up to the biker with an intense look in his eyes.

"If you really wanted to ask a question to the newcomer, then you've least filter your mouth a bit in this clean environment!" Ishimaru retorted back at the angry biker. "I DON'T TOLERATE SUCH VULGARITY IN THIS SCHOOL!"

If there are two words to describe what Mondo Owada is feeling right now...those will be pissed. off.

Mondo inched his face closer to Ishimaru's and the two of them are having a staredown. "Alright you tight asshole, you've already got in trouble by your mouth when you made Miu cry. Don't think I've forgotten about that, and since you're in my face right now trying to control how I can speak...then perhaps I would do everyone here a favor by knocking your ass out!"

The hall monitor's eyes narrowed further by the threat. "That'll be the day!" Mondo's eyes twitched and he gritted his teeth furiously, threatening to break in sheer fury from this fucking asshole of a hall monitor.

"Oh, why you fucking piece of-"

"Enough."

The two boys snapped their heads and their fiery hot tempers were smothered by the glare the menacing man is giving to them. Sweat dripped down from the foreheads as those eyes pierced through their bodies. Everyone else who were watching the bickering turned to the clearly irritated giant in fear of what he'll about to do.

Makoto looked up at Katakuri, trying to reassure him. "Umm...y-you okay, Katakuri-san?" Even if the luckster gotten used of being around this man, whenever he's intense or mildly annoyed, Katakuri was still terrifying.

Speaking of which, Katakuri took a deep breath to calm himself from the bickering. That further proves his point of why he don't wanna waste any more time with these immature brats, minus Makoto and Himiko.

"It would be wise to cease this childish banter, because frankly, I don't want to be around any of you, except for Makoto and Himiko." This earned a nervous chuckle from the luckster and a 'nyeh' from the magician.

The crimsonhead turned to Ishimaru, who flinched from the glare. "You need to control yourself, stop acting like a mad dog whenever someone is using profanity in their language. It's their mouth, you don't control it. If you don't like it, then you can always block them out or walk out." The hall monitor looked down in a bit of shame after Katakuri told him those words.

Then he turned his attention to the shocked biker. "And you, keep your temper in check. If you keep answering every situation or fight with a hot temper and fists, then you're really asking to be in a lot of trouble." Mondo clenched his teeth in frustration when he heard those truthful words.

"And for your answer, I'm more of a second-in-command in a sense." That earned a curious look from the biker as he heard that Katakuri is a second-in-command of whatever gang he's in.

"Wh-whoa, really man? What kind of gang are you from anyway?" Mondo asked further.

"I'm with the hotheaded biker, I want to know too."

All eyes turned to the person who spoke and found it that it came from Fuyuhiko, the **Ultimate Yakuza** with Peko glued to his side as he walked up beside Owada who was annoyed when he was called that, but brushed that aside since he recognized who Fuyuhiko is and wanted to hear Katakuri's answer.

Katakuri raised an eyebrow at the statement. "And if I may ask, why do you want to know too? I know the reason of why Owada wanted to know, but I can tell that you're a boss of some sort of powerful organization." The crimsonhead's eyes narrowed a bit as he continued on. "So why does it concern you about my allegiance to an organization?"

Peko's eyes narrowed a bit as she heard this man talked to her master like that. She was about to walk up to Katakuri but the baby faced yakuza put his hand up to halt her in her tracks. Fuyuhiko gave Peko a quick look of reassurance to let her know it's okay, which relaxed her a bit, but she kept a wary look at Katakuri in case.

Fuyuhiko put his hands in his pockets as he looked up at the giant. "You right about one thing, Katakuri, it doesn't concern me..." The giant's eyebrow raised an eyebrow at the boy's further answer. "As a person. But as the boss of a yakuza, one of the many rules of being the boss of a crime syndicate is to be able to know who are your neighboring gangs, rivals, or any other rising powerful organizations that'll raise some flags concerning your gang's future."

The boss then folded his arms. "So, if it's alright with you, and I may be so bold, I want to know what gang or organization you're in. It's pretty obvious that your gang is nowhere in Japan and you're a very powerful person not just in terms of power and strength. So tell me, what gang are you in?" Fuyuhiko's eyes turned intense as he stared down at the gigantic man who's face turned into an unreadable neutral.

Everyone's eyes widened in surprised and a little fear as they watched someone as powerful as Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu, head of the fearsome Kuzuryu clan, is asking this monstrous, terrifying, and otherworldly man about what gang he's in. Everyone is fearing the absolute worst of what's about to come, some students took a few steps back in fear as they are afraid that the Kuzuryu boss had angered or offended Katakuri in any way. Even Fuyuhiko's forehead is sweating a bit as he looked up at this gigantic man, who he can't tell he's furious at him asking such a question out of the gate.

"U-uh...is that true, K-Katakuri-san? Are you in a-." Makoto looked up at the giant who kept a neutral gaze at his senior who is also having a staredown. The luckster's stomach churned in as he's worried if Fuyuhiko and Mondo gone too far on being too invasive in Katakuri's privacy, and that Katakuri will be furious and do or say something that they regret.

As the entire gym turned dead silent as the air turned thick with tension as every student is witnessing a staredown between the hotheaded, short-tempered, baby-faced **Ultimate Yakuza** Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu, and the monstrous, titanic, menacing, terrifying beyond words, gnarly Charlotte Katakuri. Then after an eternity of tense silence passed by, Katakuri spoke to break the ice.

"Pretty bold to walk up and ask me such a question." Katakuri stated grimly.

"It's a boss's job to be aware of his or her surroundings and to know if the new gangs are either friend or foe." Fuyuhiko replied with the same even tone.

Then at the drop of a hat, Katakuri's face hardened and everyone let out gasps of fear as they saw the already frightening man became more menacing when his face tensed after hearing Kuzuryu's words. Crimson eyes clashing against olive eyes, neither one of them backing down from the staredown. The silver-haired swordswoman glanced at the two's stare-off with anxiety. Peko then turned her attention to Katakuri to see if he'll do anything that seems even the tiniest bit of hostility towards her young master.

The silence stretched out long enough that you could hear someone gulp because it was so pin drop silent, Fuyuhiko's forehead began to form sweat as he's trying with all of his strength not to be intimidated or show weakness in front of this admittedly terrifying man. No one dared to try to calm this thick air of tension down, for even someone as Makoto Naegi doesn't want to be in any of their stares. If looks could kill...Fuyuhiko's would slaughter him. Katakuri's...what else is there to say?

After another tense moments of dead silence and thick tension are passed, Katakuri's face lightened a bit as well as Fuyuhiko's. "Hmph, you're smarter than you look, smart, yet stubborn."

The yakuza boss pulled up a slight smirk as he heard the compliment. "It runs in the family." The entire gym let out a huge sigh of relief as the students are glad that the intense staredown was over and that Katakuri is not at the slightest bit angered at Fuyuhiko's forwardness. Without anyone seeing, the Kuzuryu head himself couldn't help but let out a small sigh of relief after the staredown, even he thought during the moment that he may have offended the giant by his bluntness, though it was at the last minute.

Makoto rubbed his forehead to wipe away the sweat as he looked up at Katakuri with a nervous smile. "Whew, that was nerve wracking. Were you sort of...testing him?"

The giant let out a hum in agreement to the question. Yes, he wanted to test Fuyuhiko's courage to see if he's able to withstand being in the gaze as someone as him while asking a question relating to his allegiance with a group or organization. In fact, he was counting on it, since he's a commander himself.

 _'That boy have some gumption to him. He may be short-tempered, vulgar, hotheaded, hardheaded, sharp-tongued, difficult, and aggressive towards others, he does have intelligence underneath that rugged exterior. Almost deceptive to let people think he's just an incompetent hothead with no knowledge. I don't want to let them know that I'm a pirate, but I will play this out in my favor.'_ Katakuri said to himself as he looked at the now relaxed students as he's about to tell Fuyuhiko, Mondo, and everyone of his part in a group.

"You're right, Fuyuhiko. I am part of a large group of immensely powerful and capable warriors, I belong to the one and only Charlotte Family. We, along with three others, are the most powerful, influential, and strongest family members this world had ever known. I am the right-hand man of the powerful Charlotte name."

"HUHHHH?!"

"O-o-o-one...out of...f-f-four?!"

"C-Ch-Charlotte?!"

"S-second-in-command?!"

"H-how strong is his group anyways?!"

"W-w-w-whaaaaa?!"

Even Makoto was shocked as he looked at Katakuri in newfound awe as he now realized that he's part of a family, a very powerful one, more powerful than the Kuzuryu, Togami, and Nevermind Family. "

The whole student body let out cries of shock, confusion, and fear as they heard of his position in what he claims to be one of the strongest and most powerful gangs in the world. Fuyuhiko's eyes widened when he heard the claim, hearing that the Charlotte family is more powerful than his. How come he never heard this family's name before if they are so influential. Hell, the Kuzuryu Clan are known for their brutality and if anyone dares to cross them the wrong way will find themselves in a ditch and it'll look like a horrible accident.

"W-what the fuck?! H-how in the ever fucking love of God had I never heard of such a gang?!" The gangster shouted with a shocked on his face.

Expecting such a reaction from Fuyuhiko, Katakuri continued. "Simple really, we're not a yakuza gang or none of the sorts. And no, Owada, we are not a biker gang either. I just find my attire to be eye catching-"

"I'll say~~." A girl moaned shakily.

The crimsonhead turned his attention and saw the **Ultimate Inventor** , Miu Iruma, staring at him with needy eyes, a shaky, dopey smile with drool, a bright blush on her face, and a trembling body with the occasional rubbing of her legs. Katakuri raised his eyebrow at the girl's lewd behavior as he watched her taking her sweet time drooling and moaning over his entire body. Inwardly, the giant groaned when he saw Miu staring at him like eye candy, which earned a short awkward silence from the students.

 _'This Miu Iruma...she's...quite eccentric, to the say the least. I hope she's nothing like Flampe when it comes down to it, anyways, Kuzuryu is getting impatient.'_ Katakuri said to himself as he turned his attention back to the impatient gangster, who looked like he's about to burst if he doesn't get his answer.

"Calm yourself, Kuzuryu. As I was saying, we are among the most powerful and most influential groups that this world had ever known. In fact, the four of us are so influential, our very name is law and everything we say...it goes." Katakuri said in a powerful tone that shook the gym and the students as they stared agape with fear and awe at how the man, the 'new, missing student' Makoto Naegi claimed, is the right-hand man of one of the most powerful organizations in the entire world!

That grabbed everybody's attention of how influential the man is, especially to ones like Byakuya Togami, who had a look of denial, abhorrence, fear, shock, and anger. And Sonia Nevermind, who had a look of fear, awe, bewilderment, and curiosity.

Speaking of which, the Togami heir (the real one) pointed a finger at Katakuri with disdain and shock on his face as his mind couldn't handle of knowing that there is a family, or group, or whatever large organization this monstrous man is from, is more powerful, _more. powerful._ than the highly-esteemed, noble, and godlike Togami name!

"That is a viscous lie! The very name of the Togami is the alpha and the omega! There is no possible way that your allegiance to whatever gang or family name you came from is more esteemed than the glorious Togami name!" Byakuya shouted with denial and anger.

Katakuri closed his eyes as he expected such a childish, immature, and whiny rant from the snot-nosed heir. "Well then, Togami, you might as well get used to that fact that there is a family out there more powerful than your puny name."

"P-p-p-puny..." Byakuya coughed out.

"If you really think that your family is the "alpha and the omega" you claimed it to be, then you are nothing more than a damnable fool who never had the time of his spoiled, puny, arrogant life of ever thinking that there is someone, or a family name out there in the world that'll make the Togami name nothing more than a joke. A laughable joke if I may add. I'm not making fun, I'm just stating facts. Facts that you are having trouble to accept." Katakuri boomed. It's not an exaggeration, it's the full blown truth.

Katakuri compared the attitude to Byakuya with that of the Celestial Dragons. Fortunes beyond imagination, freedom to do whatever they want without any repercussions, a spoiled attitude, and most of all: a god complex.

The crimsonhead loathe such people with attitudes like that, and even hates that this boy thinks his family are gods in this world. His family name may have power and influence, but compared to all the other royal families and the Yonko (Four Emperors), especially to the Celestial Dragons, the Togami name meant absolute squat compared to their power and influence in the world.

Now the Togami heir began to see red as he heard such an assumption coming from that vile man. How dare he...how _dare_ he compared his glorious Togami name to that of a joke?! A joke, a _goddamn joke!_ Byakuya was about to unleash his fury at Katakuri who once long turned his attention back to Fuyuhiko until...

"Please stop this infantile rant, you imbecile."

However, before Byakuya goes off on another rant, he was cut off by another person who carried the same arrogant tone he had. Byakuya turned his attention and his face contorted to one of fury as the person was none other than that offensive impostor. 'Twogami' folded his arms as he looked at Byakuya with a calm yet exasperated look compared to Byakuya's offended and angry one.

"What do _you_ want from me, you vile impostor?" The heir spat out venomously.

Not affected by the insult, Twogami answered. "Exactly what will you gain if you shout at Katakuri like that? Oh believe me, I was offended and was in a state of denial too when the man said that, but then I realized that what he said was right. If you think of yourself as the god of this world and everybody else that doesn't have the same status as you, then you really are a fool with a few dollars in his pocket."

The real heir seethed with fury as he heard another insult coming from this fat faker. "How dare you-"

"I'm not finished, Togami." The heavyset Twogami now had a look of seriousness as he stared at Byakuya. "Going off a rant like that because of the truth, then you proved his point that you are nothing more than an entitled, spoiled brat. Now, I know you would call me a hypocrite since I look like you, but unlike you, I know how to swallow the painful truth and move on. There are many others out there in the world that is more talented than you and has a higher, more powerful name than you. And I will say this on behalf of Katakuri and everyone else in this gym..."

"Suck it up, get over yourself, and move on."

Byakuya's breathing is being heard in the gym as everybody watched with wide eyes, minus Katakuri as the more mature, fat version of Byakuya is putting the snobbish, seething, and prideful Byakuya in his place, which is better said than done considering what kind of person Byakuya is.

Speaking of which, the heir was doing his best to calm himself down after what the impostor had said. His nose flared up as his blonde hair shadowed his eyes after he was insulted not only once, but twice...and by plebeians nonetheless! His fists are tightened so hard, red would be seen underneath the skin, threatening to bleed out. His entire body shakes in absolute rage from his wounded pride.

"And why would I listen words from such plankton like you?" Byakuya spat out.

And just like that, Byakuya is finished.

Twogami pulled a sly smirk on his face. "Because if you don't, Togami, you would lose something more valuable than your pride of the Togami name."

"And what would that be, impostor?"

"Simple...your credibility."

The skinny heir's eyes widened in shock as he heard those words came from Twogami's mouth. Whatever rage he was having from Katakuri and Twogami's statements were smothered and was quickly replaced with icy cold rage as he stared at Twogami with disdainful eyes. Everybody in the entire gym watched in anticipation as to how this'll end out. Katakuri just simply stared at the bigger Togami, actually showing a tad bit of respect of the level of maturity coming from Twogami. He's glad that someone else is stepping up to the childish Byakuya and his rants since he can't handle the truth.

"What?" Byakuya hissed icily, staring at the smug Twogami with contempt.

"Just imagine, Byakuya Togami. How would the rest of the world would react if they see the next heir in the Togami family who can't handle a simple truth and resort to throwing temper tantrums and rants instead of actually being an adult and accept the truth and move on with your pride intact? How would your family will react if they see the next-in-line of the esteemed Togami acting like an immature, narrow-minded idiot?"

"And besides, since you despise us 'plebeians' so much, and if one knocks you off your high horse, you would actually want to bring yourself at the level to combat them, refuting them of speaking their mind about you?" Twogami continued with a neutral look as Byakuya glared daggers at him. "

"Maybe instead of going off on Katakuri, who like all of us, felt absolute dread and fear by his appearance alone, a man who can easily stomp on you if he ever so desired, told you the truth about facing the reality that his family is more powerful that yours, which I have no doubt they are, and you just want to whine and complain instead of taking it on face value? I thought we Togami are supposed to be representations of pride, nobility, and maturity...seems I was wrong."

Everybody in the gym watched in silence as they saw someone standing up against the arrogant and high-minded Byakuya Togami, _the_ Byakuya Togami, who like all prideful nobility who look down on everyone who is not on his level or his worth with disdain and sneer. Whispers are heard as they said their thoughts on this.

"Damn, that's real ballsy."

"Serves that jerk right."

"That Togami lookalike is braver than me, standing up against someone like Byakuya."

*giggles* "Oh my, it appears that the great Byakuya Togami has met his match."

Byakuya's throat ached because in his throat are words and words of refutes, insults, and yelling to deny Twogami's claims, but deep down, he dreaded to admit it, he couldn't find a single fault within the impostor's words. His stomach churned in disgust as he stared at the offendive doppelganger with contempt and disdain. He gave a glance at Katakuri who had a look that is expecting him to act like a fool or an adult.

With all of his might, the angered heir swallowed the words that were forming in his throat, coughed, and straightened himself to regain his composure. He let out a long sigh to release the frustration of being told by an impostor and a giant and folded his arms, then he walked away from the group to calm himself down some more before letting out a 'whatever.'

As he watched Byakuya walking away, the heavyset Twogami turned to Katakuri, who gave the boy a slight nod for his act of maturity of calming the brat down, which the bespectacled boy acknowledged.

"I apologize for his outburst, Katakuri, is it true that you said your family are among the top four strongest in the world?" Twogami asked, to continue the series of questions after the confrontation.

"Yes, that is correct. I'm not one to brag or boast, but our family consists of over 80,000 to 120,000 members strong in my family alone. Every other crew or organization under our name are numbers that exceeds the hundred thousands." The crimsonhead replied.

Another series of gasps of shock and slight awe as they heard the number of members in the Charlotte Family. Fuyuhiko knew that his clan is large and have other gangs that serve the Kuzuryu Clan, but not of that level. He's honestly surprised that a person such as Katakuri could maintain such a cool and calm head of being the second-in-command of such a massive organization. That thought made the yakuza boss respects the giant for maintaining a cool head in such pressures.

"Ooh ooh ooh, I got a question for you, Mr. Katakuri!"

The giant turned his attention and saw Hifumi Yamada raising his hand like a kindergartener. The hamster faced boy's eyes sparkled in wonder as he took in the clothing Katakuri is wearing. The biker outfit, the kneepads, the boots, the belt buckle, the vest, but what intrigued the fanfiction writer the most is the large, scruffy scarf wrapped around his face. Also, like everyone else, he spotted the vertical scars on both sides of his face. He's curious as to what does Katakuri's face look like underneath the scarf.

"Hifumi Yamada, correct?"

The boy nodded as he began to ask his question. "Like Mr. Owada-dono had said, I like your choice in attire. I couldn't help but wonder why would you choose to wear biker inspired clothing out of all things. I mean, it's nothing wrong with it, your clothing's awesomeness is above 9000, but like why though?"

"As I said, Yamada, I like how the biker attire looked like, it is eye catching to me. Not only it is appealing to me, but they are a nightmare to my enemies. Nothing is more satisfying that watching your enemies' faces contorted with terror and fear by the mere appearance of my clothing attire. Really stands out." Katakuri finished with his eyes closed. The answer earned curious looks from the students.

The fanfic writer took in as to what this gigantic man said. 'Using his clothing attire to intimidate his enemies'. If that ain't the definition of awesomeness, then Yamada didn't know anything else! Still curious, Hifumi asked another question.

"Mr. Katakuri, I want to know one more thing." Hifumi said.

"And what would that be, Yamada?" Katakuri asked, almost ready to get the questions over with.

"Why are you wearing that scarf?"

...

...

...

Uh-oh.

...

The giant's eyes snapped wide open as he heard the question. Makoto, who ever since looked at Katakuri to make sure he isn't the least bit irritated, recoiled as he saw such a strong expression formed on Katakuri's face. The luckster nervously turned his head to Hifumi, who still had the same dumb, curious look on his face, not knowing that the question he just said set Katakuri off.

He was already on the edge when he thought that Fuyuhiko's forward question offended Katakuri in any way, but that innocent yet blunt question from Hifumi...now Katakuri looked offended.

"U-uh, Yamada-kun?" Makoto drawn out nervously.

"Yeah, I'm wondering too, bro. Like, why are you wearing that scarf? Is it to cover those scars on your face?" The idiot known as Hiro added, joining with Hifumi of wanting to know the mysteries of Katakuri's face.

The ahoge boy's face sweated when another one is added to the fray. "H-Hiro, p-please stop-"

"Yeah man, how did you have those scars on your face? Was it from an accident?" Kaito asked.

*twitch*

Katakuri's eyebrow twitched, yet ever so subtly that nobody could catch that except Makoto, who is trying his best to calm Katakuri and everyone else down before the last confrontations would seem like child's play compared as to what is about to happen.

Makoto's face began to turn blue in fear. "G-g-guys..."

"We all want to know, Katakuri. Why the scarf, bro? Are you wearing to look cool, or is it something else?"

"Why are you hiding your face?"

"Isn't it obvious, he's most likely ugly underneath that scarf. He's ugly on the outside, so it's obvious his face is absolutely hideous on the inside." Hiyoko sneered.

"Hiyoko, not now...although I want to know the same thing." Mahiru scolded lightly before saying the last part quietly.

The giant's eyes are shadowed and his veiny forehead gained more veins as blood flowed through them in absolute fury. The luckster's not faring better as he is not making any progress on trying to calm Katakuri down. Obviously, he's dreading as to what an furious-no, _livid_ Katakuri would do. Makoto's teeth clenched as more students are joining in, the silent ones are observing Katakuri, wondering in their minds themselves as to what lies beneath Katakuri's scarf.

"H-hey, guys, p-please stop right now, you're making Katakuri very an-"

"Let us see what's underneath!"

"I wanna see, I wanna see, I wanna see!"

"What's with the scars, bro?"

"Everyone, stop right no-." Once again, Makoto's pleas were falling on deaf ears. Was once an innocent yet repetitive question quickly devolves into a series of demands, questions, requests, insults, jeers, and shouting.

"Even though it is beneath me to do so, I also wanted to know the secrets this menace is hiding."

"Tenko has no doubt that King Degenerate is ugly underneath that thing!"

"PLEASE STOP-"

*DON*

The clamoring from the students immediately seized when they felt that dreadful, horrendous, deathly aura again, but this time, unlike the previous times...this one felt murderous. Absolutely monstrous...there are no words to describe the deathly feeling that is choking the students in the air.

Everybody shakily turned their heads to the clearly furious giant that is Charlotte Katakuri who kept his head low and his eyes shadowed. The only thing they can see of his face is his veiny, darkened forehead and his shadowed eyes. Likewise, the weaker students felt like fainting again but they couldn't, it's like this intimidating, terrifying giant is preventing them of doing so. The stronger students' eyes widen in fear and despair beyond imagination when the aura completely choked them, almost making them having difficulty breathing.

But the ones that the aura is mainly targeting at are Hifumi, Hiro, and the others who kept pestering him about his scarf and Hiyoko and them who made snides about his face, with the latter feeling like that their souls are being froze over by Katakuri's murderous gaze. The poor fanfic writer and clairvoyant wanted to run away right here and now, but their feet are refusing to run, their bodies froze like statues, and their eyes glued to the trembling, ferocious, and viscous form of Katakuri who still kept his head shadowed.

The only one who is not the least bit affected are Makoto, and surprisingly Himiko, who didn't felt as terrified as before but still pulled her hat with one eye peeking at Katakuri. The luckster looked up at the angered man with a blue face as he's too terrified to try to calm him down, which is...what can I say, it's too late.

"K-K-K...Katakuri-san?" Makoto whispered shakily. Even though he's not the one that is targeted by his gaze, he's for once again glad that he's not the one in the fierce man's gaze that'll freeze your very being over.

For a while, the giant remained unresponsive from the ahoge boy's calls. Naegi mustered up enough courage to try to reach out to him. He knows that everybody said and shouting to him clearly was inappropriate and offensive and deserves to be called out from their nonsense, but even then, he couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for everyone else that are receiving the life-defying gaze of the giant.

"H-h-hey...Kataku-"

If looks could kill...everybody in here would be cinders.

The crimson eyes of Katakuri glowed in the darkened gym. The entire gym fell under darkness when only the light from the giant's eyes are the only source of light, but instead of the good kind of light, this one is filled with ferocity, maliciousness, and horror. His eyebrows arched intensely as he pierced every single soul of the entire student body, mainly at those who were pestering him.

The man kept gazing at the students, daring them to make even one syllable. Then after a long silence, the livid man uttered his words, his voice booming and echoing through the entire gym.

" **I would appreciate it if you keep your mouths shut about my business. Whatever your concern is about my privacy is of none of your business. Utter even a whisper of wanting to know my face...your short yet meaningless lives will be sadly shortened by my hand."** Katakuri boomed menacingly, flaring his aura to prove his seriousness.

Everybody couldn't even nod in response, nobody could utter a gasp or cry in fear as they fell silent like if even make a noise wrong and they face the full brunt of Katakuri's wrath, with the exceptions of Makoto and surprisingly Himiko, who stared at the scary scene with a quivering lip. Their bodies feel like fainting or running away from the ire of the man-no. They all have one word that fully and definitely describes what kind of man Charlotte Katakuri is:

...

Monster.

The man shifted his eyes to the two terrfied boys, Yamada and Hiro. The fat boy feel like peeing in his pants in fright as he grabbed his face in fear and his eyes widen in horror. The wildly haired fortuneteller's feet shivered and quaked as his mind was screaming at his body to flee far away as possible to get away, but his body screamed even louder, refusing to do so. The poor boys could do nothing but keep their eyes meeting at the furious Katakuri's.

 **"You two. You proved yourself to be one of the most annoying, irritating, and unbearable individuals I had ever met in my life. I would _kindly_ ask of you to refrain any more questions about my scarf. If you ever ask, whisper, think, if you even so much as to dream about it..." **The giant's eyes widen a as he bored holes into their heads. **"You will wake up the next day with a hole in your chest."**

Katakuri turned back to the terrified crowd. **"That also applies to all of you. If you like to avoid stoking my wrath like you did, I advise you to cease the questions. I would gladly accept any questions, as long as they do not involve my privacy. Do I make myself clear?"** Katakuri growled.

The only response the students could give to the furious man are whimpers in agreement. They all agreed that the time for questions are at an end, and if they ever want to see the light of another day, they would be wise as to not anger Katakuri again by pestering him with multiple questions.

Makoto stared speechless at the deadly and murderous aura of Katakuri. True, he was frightening already when he first me him because of his enormous height and his hardened face. But seeing someone as Katakuri being...angry is an understatement, but _absolutely livid_...that is something that not everybody could ever dream of ever happening.

The luckster stared with his eyes bucked in fear and shock and his mouth agape as he stared at the first person he met during this predicament act like such a savage. He couldn't help but not feel a bit sorry for the students. What they said was out of line and was needed of being stopped, but at this extent and ferocity?

Not even he wanted to wish it upon his enemies.

 **"Good. I take it that's it for questions for another day?"** Katakuri boomed. He carefully scan every single fear-stricken face of the students as he's taking his time make sure everybody gets the picture. And after seeing no one making the slightest nuances of disagreement, the giant summed his aura back and the entire gym is now breathable, again.

Most of the students gasped for air as they stared at the monstrous man with newfound fear and respect as they know that this transfer student that Makoto Naegi claimed to be, is the definitely a force to be reckoned with. And everybody from the day forward learned a valuable lesson when it comes to asking someone about their privacy out of whim and keep pestering and invading and trying to pry into their business.

But most importantly, the most valuable lesson everybody learns today that they will remember for the rest of their lives, if they wish to see the light of another day:

Do.

Not.

Piss.

Off.

Charlotte.

Kata.

Kuri.

* * *

"Now...let's get back to more weighty matters at hand. For instance, our situation here. Someone wants us here for a reason." Katakuri stated neutrally. The students shook their terror and fear and now realized this and began to look around the gym and talk among themselves about the predicament.

"M-M-Mr. Katakuri is right." Ishimaru was the first to regain composure after that. "Now that we everybody is here, we need to figure out how we all woke up from different locations in this place."

"Yeah, what the hell is up with that?" Leon mused with a frown.

"Hmmm, it seems all of you were kidnapped or taken in a sense. I noticed that there are several weapons are concealed in this gym alone." Katakuri explained.

That grabbed the students' attention. They never knew that there are weapons in the gym, they never had the time to observe this place.

"H-how in the hell did you know that?" Leon asked with a surprised look.

"It's pretty simple once you observe your surroundings. Whoever planted them must've have some kind of security intent or somewhat." The giant further explaining, garnering a few thinking faces from the group.

"Weapons, you say?" Kokichi smirked, folding his arms behind his back. "Shishishi, this seems like a pretty cool setup. I have no doubt that this'll be some sort of game."

"Ugh, are you fucking serious? You really think this is some sort of game?" Miu scowled at the boy.

"Why, of course..." Kokichi mused, before having a dreamy look on his face. "I hope so, I really love games."

That earned an angry scowl from Mondo, who is not calm in this situation. "Did your parents fucking dropped you?" The mischievous boy snickered slightly before turning to the biker.

"I don't know...did yours did?" Kokichi smirked gleefully. Something snapped within Mondo when he heard the insult. The biker saw red after that comment, and the students turned to the supreme leader and gave a few glares, which the boy shrugged off with a smile. Mondo's forehead threatened to pop a vein as he stomped to the smug supreme leader while cracking his knuckles.

"WHAT?! What did you fucking said, you little shitstain?! Why I oughta-"

"Do nothing. If we stop screaming at each other, I think we should approach our situation with a cool head and a logical outlook." Rantaro interjected calmly. He began to walk a bit looking at the gym walls. "Like Katakuri-san said, all of us were kidnapped for some reason. The main reason we're all at Hope's Peak was because they saw our talents and recruited us." The adventurer cups his chin thoughtfully. "Then all of a sudden, all of us had a mysterious blackout and woke up in various locations of this place. I can't recall how on earth we got here but-" Rantaro's analysis were cut off as Owada's voice drowned his out.

"No shit, Sherlock! You wonderin' why we're freaking the hell out here?!" Mondo yelled out angrily, receiving several nods throughout the group of students.

"And also, there is another thing to note. When all of you woke up, didn't you noticed the windows in the classes and hallways?" Kibo asked rhetorically before continuing. "Normally we can see the outside world through the windows of this place, but instead all we see are iron plates. Someone doesn't want us to see the exterior of this place for some reason."

"That is certainly one of the reasons why we can't see outside. It's in our best interest for us to assess the situation and find the best possible way for us to get out of this." The gruff voice of Sakura added rationally with her arms crossed.

"Tenko agrees with you, Ogami. We must be prepared for the absolute worst if it comes!" Tenko exclaimed excitedly, pumping her fists for emphasis.

The ahoge luckster too was thinking about how he like everyone else had been taken in by some unknown reason to this place. He tried to recalled the last time he arrived at the school for something, but afterwards, blank. Makoto looked up at the giant who glances around the gym, which puzzled the boy.

"What's up, Katakuri-san? Something wrong?" The luckster asked curiously.

"I'm just taking the time to observe the predicament and figure out ways we can-" Katakuri's answer was interrupted when his eyes narrowed and his crimson irises glowed as his **Future Sight** kicked in. After seeing the oncoming future, the crimsonhead let out a slight growl.

And what's about to happen is going to send everyone in here through a spiral of chaos and confusion.

Noticing his face, Makoto's face turned to one of slight concern as he wanted to know what Katakuri saw that made him like that. "What happened, Katakuri? What did you see? Is something bad going to happen to us?"

"No, worse than that, Naegi. All I have to say is..." The crimsonhead gravely said before he turned his attention to the mic stand that stood besides them. Seeing where he's looking at, Makoto also turned to the mic stand, a bit cautious because of Katakuri's alertness of what's about to happen.

"Prepare yourself."

Then suddenly, a high-pitched, audio screech filled the entire gym, making all the conversations from the students ceased as they darted their eyes and heads as to where it's coming from. Everybody turned to the mic stand and like them, Katakuri and Makoto turned to the source of the feedback. It made everyone, minus Katakuri to cover their ears from the ear-splitting sound.

 _ **"Hello, is this thing on? Is it? Everyone is present? Good! Alrighty then, let's get this shindig started!"**_ An overly cheerly and obnoxious voice yelled out from the mic. Everybody turned instantly to the same spot the two guys were looking at to see who spoken. Suddenly, something small sprang up from behind the mic stand before landing in front of the mic stand with a small thump. It was a teddy bear, if one could call it that. The right side of the bear is white and has a completely normal look to it while the other side of it is black and has a sinister, wicked looking red eye and a pointed, sharp-toothed smile.

"What in the hell is that thing?" Fuyuhiko exclaimed as he stared at the bear.

"Is that...a teddy bear?" Kaede's eyes widened as she took in of the strange, mechanical mammal.

 _ **"I'm no teddy bear."** _The bear said in the same obnoxious and overly cheery tone that made everyone cringe a bit as to how annoying and irritating it sounds.

 _ **"You can call me...Monokuma! And I am this school's headmaster!"**_ The teddy's declaration caught everyone minus a certain one off guard, by how strange, silly, and ridiculous it sounds. Normally headmasters are people, not mechanized, annoying, small teddy bears, right? They continued to stare in disbelief as the now dubbed Monokuma continued to address to all of them.

 ** _"It's very nice to meet all of you, I'm sure we will all get along quite well in this school of ours!"_**

Katakuri narrowed his eyes at the teddy bear. He knew of what this thing's intentions are and even though he's not at his full strength, he will stop this piece of scrap metal's insidious plan no matter what. Even though it sickens him to his stomach, he has no choice but to listen to the prattling of this rejected Care Bear because he doesn't want to be too hasty as to threaten everybody's well-being here. All he can do is to stoically gaze at the chatterbox with his eyes narrowed.

Like the crimsonhead, Makoto couldn't shake the anxiety that is bubbling in his stomach. He stared at the robotic bear in silence with his forehead sweating as the anxiety turned into an undertone feeling of fear. He couldn't shake his thoughts because the pitting feeling in his gut is telling him something bad is going to happen with Monokuma as the headmaster, but like Katakuri said, "prepare yourself." So, like that, he is.

"I-it must be controlled by some kind of dark magic!" Himiko quivered as she pointed a finger at the bear.

"Jeez, there's no such thing as magic. I'm sure this is all part of the program, Hope's Peak is just different from every other academy." Hiro said in denial.

"Hmph, magic is real! Keep talking and I will turn you into a frog!" The magician huffed slightly as she pulled down her hat.

"Guy guys, calm down. I'm pretty sure there's some kind of speaker inside this thing." Kazuichi suggested as he walked closer to examine the fluffy bear closely.

 _ **"I told you already, I'm no teddy bear!"**_ Monokuma shouted in an annoyed tone with his face red in anger as he glared at the pink haired mechanic who stepped back a bit, while holding his hands in a giving up gesture.

"Aaaaaahh! It moved again, it moved again, it moved again!" Hifumi screamed as he continued his episode at how weird Monokuma is.

"Seriously, calm down!" Mondo said in annoyance to Hifumi's antics. "Prolly just a remote controlled robot or somethin."

 _ **"Grrrr, how dare you compare me with a child's toy! Ah man, you've cut me deep..."** _The bear said in a depressed tone as everyone gave him flat looks.

 _ **"Upupu, but my remote control system is so complex and complicated, it'll make the top scientists that had the Nobel Prize or those at NASA look like morons and will make them quit their dreams. Upupupu, I just couldn't BEAR the thought of it!"**_ Like the first time, everyone gave the annoying bear flat and irritated looks at the bear's poor attempt at jokes, though for some they look like they wanted to cave this thing's face in because he was so headache-inducing.

"I don't know what's worse, you insulting my dream of being in NASA or the puns..." Kaito frowned as he folded his arms.

"Oh, that's no contest, man." Leon remarked dryly.

"I'm afraid it's the puns, darling." Celestia added with a clear tone. Despite her natural look, she like everybody else was annoyed of Monokuma's irritating tone.

"I oughta shut that piece of crap up..." Akane growled under her breath as she glared at the annoying animatronic. However, Monokuma seemed to ignore the remarks as he continued to talk to everyone in the same carefree tone.

 _ **"Alrighty then, I'm afraid we need to hurry along and get this party started..."**_ Monokuma continued ignoring the insults.

*scoffs* "What, no annoying jokes you want to throw at us?" Junko inquired with her hands on her hips as she stared at the bear with an irritated look.

 _ **"Please keep it down."**_ Monokuma said in an unfazed tone at Junko's question, which irked the fashionista by being ignored by the big bellied teddy bear.

 _ **"Now then...STAND TALL AND PROUD AND BOW! FOR I SAY...good morning! Now, you say good morning!"**_

"Good morning, headmaster!" Taka yelled out energetically, despite how bizarre the situation is.

"Gonta offers you a good morning greeting to you as well!" The barefoooted entomologist exclaimed as he bowed too.

"Are you serious now, you're bowing to a teddy bear?" Akane asked incredulously at the ridiculousness as she glanced at the two boys.

"Hmph, let them, it makes them look stupider that way." Hiyoko remarked with a mischievous grin.

"Yeah, no kidding. I can't wait to see their faces as the headmaster reveals his true face." Hiro laughed as he rubbed his stubble.

 _ **"Hey, I'm no teddy bear and this is how I actually look, buddy."**_ Monokuma said in an irritated tone, before straightening himself as he turned to everyone.

 _'You have no idea...'_ Katakuri thought in a grave tone to Hiro's remark, as he and Makoto are still unseen by the bear.

 _ **"Now then, let me introduce you to the most noteworthy and memorable welcoming ceremony of your lives!"**_ He then gave a little dance before jumping off the stand until he landed on the floor.

 _ **"Firstly, let me start on stating on your school life here will be. All you wonderful students, representing the hope for the future of the school and the world, let me say that all of you will reside here in the school."**_

The students were now more relaxed as the teddy bear continues on with the living conditions and basic introductions to the academy, despite the ridiculousness that the headmaster is an overstuffed bear. Everyone present beamed with pride as they heard that they will live in the most prestigious school and being called the hopes and the ultimate potential the world will ever know. However, there are a few of the students that aren't so relaxed by Monokuma's announcement.

 _ **"And now then, on to discussing your end date of the program! Let's see...the date that you will attend for this academy will be, ummmm..."**_ Monokuma continued in a professional manner before pausing on the last part. Suddenly, his sinister left eye glowed and his crooked, twisted smile curled as he stared intently at the students before him.

 _ **"There is none, in other words...you will spend here for the rest of your lives until the day you die!"**_ The bear finished maliciously.

Katakuri was right.

Makoto's stomach felt like it dropped to the floor as he heard that everyone here will stay in this school until the end of their days. His face turned blue in shock as he stared at the demented bear in disbelief after hearing the doomed sentence. He tried to shake off any more negative thoughts from his head before he'll be in full panic mode. He turned to the giant, who is still undetected by the bear and silently glowered at the animatronic.

Stunned silence filled the gym as the students' minds tried to grip on what he said. Their confused faces slowly turned into ones of disbelief, horror, fear, shock, and outrage at the thought that they will spend the rest of their lives in Hope's Peak.

"W-w-wait...y-y-you m-m-mean, w-w-we stay here u-until, t-the day w-w-we d-d-die...?" Mikan whimpered quietly as she was the first to break the stunned silence.

"Y-y-you got to be freakin' kidding me! For the rest of our lives?!" Hiro exclaimed fearfully.

"Y-you got to be shittin' me...tell me you're fucking joking!" Mondo growled.

"If this is another one of your sick jokes, then it's not funny!" Kaito exclaimed as he jabbed at the bear.

"Hmmm, that's the worst form of incarceration." Ryoma mused in a monotone manner.

"M-maybe for you, pal, but not for the rest of us! Not by a long, damn shot!" Akane exclaimed.

The bear seemed to ignore the complaints and outrage. _**"Awwww, don't be so sad, be glad! We have all the time in the world to be acquainted quite nicely. This school has a big, freakin' budget so we can have any conveniences."**_ The monotone colored bear explained further as his smile curled more and more on his features.

"Why should we care about budgets?!" Sayaka yelled out as her voice started to become more and more panicked.

"I second to that, I don't think we should be concerned by the school's budget right now." Kibo added as he gazed at the bear in a scrutinized manner.

"Oh, you better fucking explain to us right you, you fat-bellied fuck!" Fuyuhiko yelled out furiously. "Tell us that you're fucking screwing with us!"

 _ **"Jeez, somebody need to wash their potty mouth. And no, I'm not yanking your chain, screwing with you, or playing a joke on you. This is all one-hundred percent genuine."**_ The bear said as he's getting irritated by the denial and panic and insults from the students. His face began to turn a little red in frustration by that.

 _ **"Oh, and by the way, you're completely cut off from the outside world. So don't worry about the land beyond these walls!"**_

"T-that means...he was right...those metal plates were there for..." Makoto breathed out as his eyes widen in realization.

 _ **"Eeyup! So you don't have to worry about anyone in the world hearing your screams, cries, yells, or shouts. You can be able to live your lives in perfect matri-"**_

"I don't how and why you kidnapped us, but I do know help is on the way." Hajime cut off Monokuma's ramblings as he glared at the bear.

"That's right! You don't just kidnap forty-seven people, which most of them are well-known and famous, and expect to get away with it!" Kaede exclaimed as she prepared to march to the bear before Shuichi cut her off.

"Kaede, calm down. That's what he want, we have to play it smart." The detective-in-training implored. Any rebuttal that was in Kaede was cut off by more outbursts.

"I don't care why you kidnapped us here for! This better be a fucking joke!" Mondo shouted in anger as he walked up beside the yakuza.

"You better let us go, or I fucking swear...I will rip out your fat guts bit by bit!" Fuyuhiko snarled as his eyes narrowed dangerously.

 _ **"Waaaaaah, quit being so mean to me!"**_ Monokuma exaggerated as he began to cry out crocodile tears, that didn't last not even three seconds as his smile is back to normal.

 _ **"Anyways, why are all of y'all complaining so much? I'm giving you the free will to do whatever you want while attending Hope's Peak Academy, and yet all of y'all wanted to leave?"**_ While everyone else was starting to get infuriated with the bear's words, Makoto couldn't help but shake the odd feeling of what Monokuma is saying about free will.

 _'Normally, the captors have the say-so when it comes to kidnapping situations. But why would he want us to have the freedom to do whatever we want after he kidnapped us?'_ He thought silently to himself, before noticing he wasn't the only one thinking that. Hajime and Kyoko looked at the bear with a puzzled and thoughtful expression about the entire ordeal. The ahoge boy turned to Katakuri who is the only one remaining calm in this entire situation with his arms crossed but his face is telling a different story. The man's features tensed with his eyebrows arched further and his veiny forehead more pronounced as he glared silently as the bear and the students continued their exchange of complaints. Katakuri had a grave look on his face as he bore holes behind the head of the animatronic.

 _'Hmm, so...that's it's twisted schemes, huh? If Doflamingo is present, he would be blushing by the cruelty and animosity this person contains.'_ Katakuri said to himself.

And yet again, Katakuri was proven to be right.

 _ **"Well, then again...I did forget to mention that there is one thing. The 'only' way for you to leave the school.."** _Monokuma's red eye started to glow darkly at everybody when they began to hear the "good" news.

"R-r-r-really?" Toko asked hopefully as everyone seemed eager to do whatever it took for them to leave the academy.

"Hmmm, I suspect that it won't be too brash." Korekiyo mused as his gold eyes settled on the bear.

 _ **"Ahem, as headmaster, I've crafted a special event of those who would like to leave. I now dubbed it..."Graduation!' As I mentioned, in order to maintain a harmonious environment in the academy, we rely on the communal lifestyle. Though, if someone were to say "disrupt" the lifestyle, they would be allowed to leave! That is the purpose of Graduation!"**_

"What do you mean "disrupt the lifestyle"?" Hajime asked cautiously as he stared at the bear.

"Enlighten us." Byakuya demanded with his glasses glaring at Monokuma.

 _ **"Upupupu...welllll..."**_ Monokuma started as his smile grew wider till it look like it'll split his face while his red eye glowed maliciously as he stared at everyone who was taken back by the sinister face. _**"Why...if one of y'all murder each other, and gets away scot-free without getting caught."**_

Stunned silence filled the gym as if a gun went off when the demented bear told the cruel revelation of their one chance of escaping. Everyone was speechless for a few moments and by the time their brains caught up with it, their faces changed to ones of horror, shock, disbelief, and disgust at the mere thought of killing a fellow classmate just to escape.

"W-w-wait, murder?!" Kaede exclaimed as she broke the silence.

 _ **"Yes!"**_ The bear then performed a few backflips in the air before landing with a soft thump as he continued to list off the gruesome ways anyone can murder one another with the same overly happy and maniacal tone in his voice. _**"Pummel, shiv, bludgeon, mutilate, emulate, curse, strangle, drown, burn, asphyxiate, hang, it doesn't matter! As long as you kill one another and gets away with it, will get to walk out of this academy and carry on with their lives!"**_

Choked and startled gasps filled the gym as the students' faces contorted into ones filled with disgust and horror as the psychotic bear rambles on the numerous ways of killing one another and getting away with it, some of the students' faces turned green as they feel like puking by the thought of the murdering. Then all of a sudden, a fish fell from whatever it came from and it dropped in front of the bear as it flail and flop around erratically, trying to find some water. Monokuma picked up the dying salmon and continues his speech.

 _ **"You know what you kiddos and this salmon have in common? Neither of you had the faintest notion how jingly the thought of y'all slaughtering each other makes me!"**_ Monokuma tossed the salmon aside as he turned and glared at the students with a blush on his face with a river of sweat running down his body as he looks...pleasured by the thought of these students killing each other.

 _ **"Oooh, the mere thought of all of you kiddos, the best of the best, the hope of the future for the academy and the world mutilate and tear at each throats as the gore splattered on the walls in a beautiful yet heinous confection of blood and guts? I am so honored of being the headmaster of being the witness of such a beautiful sight?"**_ The bear moaned in a disturbing manner as he thought of the disturbing images of dead bodies and betrayal festering the gym as the students appearing to be more and more appalled by the bear's words on how to get out of this situation.

However, not everyone was on the same disturbed boat as the rest as some of them grew livid at the bear's endless rambling and yammering of the situation. A certain biker and a yakuza boss said otherwise.

"Oh, WILL YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP, YOU FAT, OVERSTUFFED PIECE OF SHIT! WE'VE HEARD ENOUGH OF YOUR BULLSHIT AND IF YOU DON'T TELL US THE WAY OUT RIGHT YOU, I WILL RIP OUT YOUR FUCKING STUFFING UNTIL THERE IS NOTHING OF YOU LEFT!" Mondo screamed furiously as he glared at the bear who still has the same smile on his face.

 _ **"And what exactly would you get off by talking to your teacher like that?"**_ Monokuma asked menacingly. That did not waver the students' soon-to-be ire and denial.

"We will get some fucking peace and quiet when we tear you apart, shitstain! There's absolutely no way in fucking hell we will slaughter each other just for the sake of freedom!" Fuyuhiko snarled as he flanked the biker, who cracked his knuckles.

"That's right, you're crazy!" Leon remarked angrily.

"Exactly, you might as well give it up, bear. We know this is nothing but a sick joke." Hiro added.

"If you don't tell us the _real_ way on how to get our, you little shit, I will rip you fucking asunder." Miu growled as she glared spitefully at the bear.

"What exactly is the point of making us kill one another?" Kaede demanded as she pointed a finger at Monokuma.

"Yeah, what they said! If you think we're hear to listen to your rambling and take this bullcrap, then you're out of your mind!" Hifumi shouted while shaking his arms for emphasis.

Strangely, the bear kept silent as he heard all the death threats and complaints from the students. His mind couldn't take it no more from the whining and the denial these brats are giving him. _**"Bullcrap...rambling...bullcrap...teddy bear...rambling..."**_

The students were put off by the bear's monotonous mantra as he looked down at the floor with a blank expression. The threats and shouting were paused as they listened to the creepy pattern of words Monokuma is saying to himself. And as if a bomb went off, Monokuma's face turned red as he bared his fangs and veins appear on his head.

 _ **"SO YOU THINK EVERYTHING I'VE SAID WERE NOTHING BUT RAMBLING AND BULLCRAP?! HOW DARE YOU TALK THAT WAY TO YOUR TEACHER, WHY CAN'T YOU ALL GET IT THROUGH YOUR THICK SKULLS THAT THIS IS THE REAL DEAL AND THAT THE ONLY WAY ANY OF YOU WOULD GET OUT OF HERE IS BY KILLING EACH OTHER?!"**_ Monokuma then held up his paw and razor sharp claws popped out. The students took a step back from the bear. They're not frightened by the tone the bear is giving off, but by how crazy, mad, and insane he's yelling, his psychotic and disturbing rants are frightening enough to make a hardened criminal scared. They knew that this bear is one-hundred percent pure, unadulterated evil.

"That's enough."

Monokuma's ranting was stopped instantly as he and the students heard someone told the demented bear to stop with his talking and were trying to find whoever said that. The person who spoke that had a voice that is filled with an authoritative baritone as it immediately ceased Monokuma's babbling. The bear's face turned back to normal and his face turned blank yet no one can deny that there is an icy cold fury undertone on it. Monokuma slowly turned to the podium and found the source of the person who had the audacity of ordering him to stop talking.

The students followed his line of direction and while all of them were shocked and stunned, they feel a tiny bit...a sliver amount of relief that the person who said those words, who was practically invisible the entire time and kept his calm facade throughout the panic...was none other than Charlotte Katakuri.

Then the gym turned icy for some reason. The students were on edge even further as they are watching the staredown between the psychotic and demented Monokuma and the calm, frightening, and menacing figure of Charlotte Katakuri. While they agree that Monokuma is scary in terms of madness and psychotic, Katakuri is an all-out monster. Just simply put, like...what else can you say? Katakuri is a force _not_ to be trifled with. Black and red lifeless eyes staring at hardened, intense crimson eyes, daring one another to back down in this razor-edged staredown.

Makoto couldn't help but gulp as he watched the two unmovable objects glaring at each other. He's glad that he's not on the receiving end on either side, though obviously, he would rather be in Monokuma's direct line of sight than be on Katakuri's. Heck, even with a neutral face, your soul would feel like it's being frozen by the crimsonhead giant. The gym remained pindrop silent, dead silent even, as they feel even more on edge and anxiety as they watched the two staring holes at each other.

 _ **"And who exactly might you be?"**_ Monokuma asked with an even tone, the first one to break the silence.

"I think you have an idea of exactly who am I. But in case you forgotten, I am Charlotte Katakuri." The giant replied in the same even tone.

 _ **"You've got some nerve talking to your teacher like that, Katakuri."**_

"News flash, I'm not one who'll be following orders, especially to an overstuffed, rejected teddy bear."

Some of the students let out a few quiet gasps as they heard the man insulted Monokuma, knowing that being called a teddy bear triggers him. Yet Katakuri calmly called him one and expecting another outburst by the bear, what they didn't expect is Monokuma calming waddling towards the gigantic man, as if challenging him. Everyone can get the message behind the waddle: _come forth if you dare._

Not missing a beat, and for the first time ever since being here, Charlotte Katakuri began to walk. The spurs on his boots echoed in the gym, each step sending shivers down everyone's spine. They never heard such a common noise such as boot spurs that sounded so...haunting...so foreboding...so menacing.

Not breaking his eyesight, Katakuri slowly began to walk his enormous strides down the steps of the stage and onto the gym floor, which amplified the boot spurs, with the waddling of Monokuma echoing along with. Everybody's eyes were glued to this event, as if they're hoping that whatever happens next will solidify that they will go home free without murdering each other...or staying here until the end of their days.

No one dared to speak, frightened that if they say one word-nay, a syllable, the two foreboding forces will turn their attention to the unfortunate soul who dared to break the mental battle of forces. But everyone has the freedom to speak in their minds on their reactions to this.

. . . .

. . . .

*plop* *plop* *plop

 _'Katakuri...what are you planning on doing?'_ An ahoge luckster thought to himself as he stared nervously at the two, silently hoping Katakuri will put an end to this nightmare.

. . . .

. . . .

*clink* *clink* *clink*

 _'This dude has balls, plenty of them. Shame he beat me to the punch.'_ A certain biker mused to himself as he felt a little admired at how Katakuri is walking towards the two-tone bear without the slightest bit of hesitation.

. . . .

*plop* *plop* *plop* *plop*

 _'Hmmm, so he's finally making his move. Question is, what are you going to do, Charlotte Katakuri?'_ A lavender haired detective thought analytically to herself, as she found herself glued to the scene as she's studying every minute move the giant is making down to his walk.

. . . .

*clink* *clink* *clink* *clink*

 _'I-i-i-is he...i-i-is he planning on saving us?'_ A timid nurse pleaded to herself as she watched Katakuri walking closer to Monokuma with the bear doing the same.

. . .

*plop* *plop*

 _'So he's on the move. Let's see what you can do.'_ An affluent heir said to himself as he folded his arms with a few beads of sweat as he's prepared to witness as to what the gigantic man will do next.

. . .

*clink* *clink*

 _'He look so goddamn strong, it's like he's not even the least bit fazed by the bear. I'm so happy about our future fight, yet for once...I'm glad I'm not in that bear's paws right now.'_ A certain gymnast remarked to herself as she's feeling more and more anxious yet excited as to what Katakuri will do next.

*plop* *plop*

 _'K-Katakuri...h-how are you...s-s-so b-b-brave?'_ A timid programmer squeaked out, as she is frightened of the staredown, but feel a bit at awe at how calm and cool the giant is by staring and about to head toe-to-toe with the maniacal bear.

*clink* *clink*

 _'He carries with so much power and control, and not even a single flaw in his form...'_ A martial artist said to herself as she stared at Katakuri's form and his way of walking without even the minute hint of hesitation.

*plop *plop* *plop*

 _'I wonder...is he siding with despair...or maybe hope?'_ A white haired luckster thought to himself as he tried to read what side Katakuri is on.

*clink* *clink* *clink*

 _'Shishishi...this looks soooo much fun! What are you going to do, Katakuri?'_ A certain supreme leader mused to himself as he's excited as to what is about to happen.

*Plop* *Plop*

 _'N-no, h-he'll ruin everything!'_ A blue haired cosplayer screamed to herself as she stared at the giant with newfound fear and a little anger, fearing that whatever plan she's worried about will be jeopardized.

*Clank* *Clank*

 _'His mana...it's unbelievable. I hope one day he'll teach how to summon my mana naturally.'_ A redhead magician thought to herself as she is admired at how cool and powerful Katakuri's mana is.

*Plop* *Plop* *Plop*

 _'He's truly is an enigma.'_ An anthropologist mused to himself as he's even more curious at the mysterious force that is Charlotte Katakuri.

*Clink* *Clink* *Clink*

 _'God, he's so fucking sexy~. I wanna just...please eat me out~~'_ A certain inventor moaned to herself as she struggled to remain calm despite the dirty fantasies going through her head as she rubbed her legs as her lower stomach starts to burn slightly.

*Plop* *Plop*

 _'Charlotte Katakuri...'_

*Clink* Clink*

 _'Just...'_

*Plop*

 _'What...'_

*Clink*

 _'In...'_

 ***Plop***

 _'The hell...'_

 ***Clink***

 _'Are you...?'_

 ***PLOP* *PLOP***

 ***CLINK* *CLINK***

In the center of the gym, in a massive berth like a passage, two forces are staring at each, finally meeting in the center and ending their strides. Everybody in the gym watched with bated breaths, wide eyes, sweaty faces, and anticipation as they are watching these two forces daring each other to back down in the brawl of mental wits with a lifeless black and a red sinister eye glaring at intense, steely, intimidating crimson pools. Monokuma looked up at the giant and Katakuri looked down at Monokuma, neither of them giving an inch of hesitation as they stared at each other.

The gym never felt so thick with tension before. The previous times were like child's play compared to this. Some of the students are forcing to keep themselves conscious as they tried not to faint or run away by suffocation from these staredown of these two. With their stomachs pitted in overanxiety and their brains trying to calm their racing organs down, they waited in dead silence to see what will happen next as if even another inch of movement by them will determine their fates on whether they live or die.

It's the battle of wits.

Hope vs Despair.

...

...

Katakuri vs Monokuma.

...

...

Monokuma versus Katakuri.

 _End of chapter_

* * *

 ** _A.N/: WOOOOOOO! WOW, I FINALLY FINISHED! AND LIKE I PROMISED, THIS DID NOT TAKE ME TWO MONTHS!_**

 ** _I tried to release the chapter by the beginning of the New Year like some kind of late Christmas gift for all of you readers of this growing story. Thank you all so much for liking this story and I really love the feedback from all of you._**

 ** _5000 views...wow...5000 views...I honestly, like I can't. *sniffle* Thank you all so much for liking and viewing this story. I really am doing my best to update it a much as I can, much better than last year and hopefully will see this story till the end some day. I honestly cannot thank you guys enough for your patience of the new chapter and liking the story. Please review, like, favorite, and follow the story, no flames please! Any feedback or criticisms like grammatical, characterization or the works, please PM me and I will improve the story much more than the line._**

 ** _Thank you Shadow of Life and King Carlos for beta reading this chapter to make it more coherent. And thank you ZGMF-X13A Providence for giving me and helping me improve ideas on how to make the story more engaging and exciting!_**

 ** _SEE YOU NEXT TIME ON THE ULTIMATE BIG BROTHER, MERRY (LATE) CHRISTMAS AND A (LATE) HAPPY 2019!_**


	8. Chapter 7: Katakuri vs Monokuma

**Chapter 7: Katakuri vs Monokuma**

"Nani?!"-speech

 _'No way!'-_ thoughts/flashback

*don*-onomatopoeia

 **Ultimate** **Whatever-** title

 ** _"Upupupu"-_** Katakuri's Future/Monokuma

* * *

 _ **AN: Hey guys, I'm back with another chapter! And last time, we left off with Katakuri and Monokuma having a stare-off with the classes watching in anxiety. What's going to happen next? Will Katakuri destroy Monokuma, stop the Mastermind, and save the students right here and now, or will Katakuri will be falling into the hands of the demented bear and the Mastermind? Read and find out on the new chapter of The Ultimate Big Brother! Not before letting someone say the disclaimer, and without further ado, Charlotte 'Charles Barkley' Katakuri, would you have the honors?**_

 **Katakuri: *glares* Charles Barkley, you kidding right?**

 _ **Goku D. Uzumaki: Well, everyone calls you that. It's a fun nickname. Ready to see what you would do?**_

 **Katakuri: *sighs* Fine. _The following is a non-profit, fan-based fanfiction. Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, Goodbye Despair, V3: Killing Harmony, and Danganronpa 3 are all owned by Too Kyo Games, Spike, and Kazutaka Kodaka and One Piece is owned by Shueisha, Toei Animation, and Eiichiro Oda. Please support the official releases._**

* * *

 **Day One**

 **First Floor**

 **Gym**

 **10:55 a.m.**

If one is able to be in the gym right now, they would feel like fleeing from the asphyxiating tension everyone else was feeling. Nobody dared to break the silence, nobody dared to breathe wrong, as if you're standing on a hair trigger minefield, or a very short fuse will detonate a bomb. While most of the students were watching in anxiety and anticipation, few of them were watching the event like they're analyzing the most miniscule of details from the two combatants.

Who are the two, you might ask? Well, those two were none other than the two-toned, psychotic, demented, overstuffed, animatronic teddy bear Monokuma and the fearsome, gargantuan, titanic, frightening, and imposing enigma Charlotte Katakuri.

Neither of them moved a millimeter ever since they met in the center of the gym, in the middle of the students. The bear is not even the least bit fazed by the grossly ridiculous height difference as the bear barely reaches 2 feet. Most of the students were kind of hoping that the giant would be in his original, monstrous height and maybe that'll scare the bear off a little bit just to gain an edge in this nightmare.

Katakuri glared down at the bear, taking in every detail of the bear. Bottom line, the bear disgusts him. His tone was giving him a migraine, his appearance looked laughable, and his personality is like a discount version of Doflamingo. Yet again, the crimsonhead never underestimates anybody, including those that look they're not much of a threat. And while this bear looked like he can barely take on a toddler, his psychosis definitely makes him a threat to all the students here and their well-being. No doubt the person behind this is watching this, as if observing him, trying to find out his weakness so he or she can exploit it. But whether they find it or not, nobody in this world had never seen or heard a person that is Charlotte Katakuri.

 _ **"I'll give you points, Katakuri, you definitely have a set of balls, hundred times bigger than the rest of these pansies."**_ Monokuma stated, the first to break the silence. _**"But whether you're a student or not, you don't talk to your betters like that."**_

The students immediately turned to the giant as if they're waiting some kind of response to the challenge, but they find the giant silently glaring at the bear, which puts them even more on edge.

 _ **"Nothing to say, huh?"**_

Still, Monokuma received no answer from Katakuri, as the giant remained statue still and shocking everyone, he closed his eyes and folded his arms. The only reaction that came from the students were silent gasps, they couldn't let out any more verbal reactions, like they do not want to be in any part of this showdown. The silent treatment did not set well with Monokuma as he started to get more irritated that the giant said nothing so far.

 _ **"The old silent treatment, eh? Well, let's see if I can get a word out of you if I let's say..."**_ Monokuma started before pausing, tightening the suspense even more before his smile twisted further and his red eye glowed a bit. _**"Execute these little kiddos right here, right now?"**_

Horrified and appalled expressions were etched on everybody's face when they heard the bear threatening Katakuri. They wanted to scream and yell in protest but they wisely kept it to themselves and continued to watch this horror show. The thought of them already dead without the sick game ever beginning were making them queasy.

But the more collective ones (Makoto, Hajime, Kyoko, Byakuya and etc.) were studying the scene, trying to find a single flaw in the staredown. They're watching the bear, to see if what he said was either a bluff or an actual promise. Then they turned their attention to the giant, who remained absolutely still even after the threat. They tried to see if he even flinched or budged a centimeter from it, but like Monokuma, he didn't even fidget. The suspense of these two were making them let out their held in breathes silently to take in fresh air to ease their tensed nerves and organs.

The bear still kept the twisted smile on his face, waiting to see if the stubborn giant took in the bait and was waiting to listen whatever he'll about to say that'll make either him or Katakuri the victor in this. The dreaded silence felt like hours are stretching out, making the students feeling more and more choked, like a very slow, yet painful garrote.

Then finally, after a long period of silence, the giant answered. "You may kill them if you so wish..." Now, that time, some of the students couldn't help but let out more louder, yet not too loud cries of horror and shock after Katakuri said that but they continued to listen to what he was about to retort. "But if you do that, then you'll never be able to get your rocks off by watching them tear each other's throats apart."

That did the trick as the more observant students watched that the twisted smile on Monokuma's face faltered a bit. "Then again, you have them in the palm of your hands, you can kill them off right here and now if you desired. But me, you'll find out that I'm unlike them, even you. Whoever you are, sitting comfortably in your chair, thinking you're the one in control around here, watching and observing every single move, waiting to see who'll be the first to snap under your twisted game...quite honestly, you're a joke. I've encountered more people in my life that are more psychotic and twisted than you ever dream of."

Everybody else couldn't deny that the slightly faltered smile dimmed almost to Monokuma's neutral expression, like every single word was hitting the bear where it hurts the most: his pride. Katakuri continued wording his retort strongly, yet carefully.

"And you already saw what I was capable of doing ever since I appeared in this academy, you don't want to try to trifle me, for I can easily destroy you and find whoever is behind this and put an end to this stupidity and carry on." Katakuri finishes with an even tone.

His answer sparked a little in the students, as they already know that Katakuri is the most powerful person in the group, by miles. And he's made of mochi and can be able to tower people and make them ants in comparison, so it's no doubt he carries a ton of strength underneath his form. But the students held back the slight smiles of hope as they turned back to the demented Monokuma, who's face long since dropped its smile.

 _ **"Oh, is that a fact?"**_ The students were put off a bit by how blank Monokuma sounds, how he lost his annoying and obnoxious tone and Katakuri's response made him emotionless, a robot. _**"And what's stopping you from doing that right now? You have the power to set these kids free, you have the power of stopping me, killing me if I can be so blunt. So why aren't you doing that now?"**_

That raises a few eyebrows from the students. While it's true, the giant does have the potential to release all of them here and let them carry on with their lives after stopping the madman or madwoman responsible for this ordeal, so why is he just standing still, not even fazed by Monokuma's question, which if told by anyone else, will send them on a loophole or a contradiction. But they're carefully watching Katakuri, knowing full well that he's capable of retorting the bear's question, and he's capable of 'seeing the future', which was stated to the be true, but they want to see it with their own eyes.

"Why didn't you kill all of them like you said so?"

Eyes widened when they heard Katakuri's question. Not answer, _question._

If once could listen to their exchange of dialogue, it'll be very hard to spot a flaw in their statements and both of them contain facts, it takes a very, very, _very_ keen ear of noticing even the slightest of flaw in their statements. And if one spotted the flaw and make a connection to the rest of the statement, either the statement will be a broken one, a mixed one, or a false, fabricated statement that sounds smart.

That question may sounded simple and cruel, but the observant ones knew the meaning behind the question and they began to understand why Katakuri responded with the same question, and not with an answer.

And of course, that did not set well with the two-tone bear who glared daggers at Katakuri, and the giant retaliated back with the same even glare. Monokuma's face slowly darkened until his visage bear a sneer, if one could do that. _**"As you wish..."**_

And suddenly, whirring sounds were heard throughout the gym, ranging the ears of the students. The students tried to search for the source of the whirring and when they found it, their eyes widened and their faces turned into ones of horror and fear. At the ceiling of the gym, a few inches behind Monokuma, one of the tiles opened and out came what it appears to be a-mini-gun?!

The mini-gun stopped just a few feet above Monokuma before it stopped a few feet above Katakuri's height, with the multiple, empty, and dark tunnels glowering at the unfazed giant, as if it's awaiting orders from the demented bear, who pulled a sadistic grin as he's beginning to feel confident knowing that he had this impudent giant in his sights. Everyone in the gym were terrified as they were appalled that the bear conceals military-grade weapons like that in this seemingly harmless gym, and what's even horrifying them more is that whenever they cross Monokuma the wrong way, they will be lying on the ground filled with more holes than Swiss cheese.

 _ **"Since you're the first one who ever stood up to me like that, I wouldn't mind if you're be the first to be killed in such an awesomely gruesome way! And while these kiddos will be crying over your hole-filled corpse, then they will know that talking back to the headmaster in any sort of rude manner..."**_ Monokuma said grimly before his twisted smile is pulled even further on his face as his red eye glowed menacingly. _**"The end result will be cruel, corporate punishment."**_ As if on cue, the mini-gun whirred as it readies itself to unload its deadly barrage of silver at the giant.

Most of the faces on the students turned green by the thought of seeing this gigantic man being shredded by the weapon. They tried to shake their mind off of the same fate will happen to them. Though, the stricken faces of fear and despair were faltered as they turned their attention at Katakuri, who is _still_ unfazed despite the threats, despite putting their lives on the line, and despite the fact that there is a fully-functional, remote controlled mini-gun that was armed to the teeth and ready to unleash its full load on the giant, setting a sickening example of being impudent to the twisted bear.

Makoto stared fearfully at the weapon as he stared at Katakuri with anxiety and fear for his well-being. The luckster knew that the man is capable of turning into mochi, but does it include being bulletproof? "K-K-Katakuri-san...?" He asked shakily.

The giant remained silent as he's focused on the mini-gun above the bear and Monokuma's ugly smile. On the outside, everybody thinks Katakuri is observing the best course of action to divert this situation away from being out of proportion. Yet inward, Katakuri was seeing into the future for a bit so he wouldn't strain himself, looking at the outcome would be if he acted rashly. His eyes turned bright red for a few seconds as he peered into the future.

 _ **Monokuma smiled wider as he ordered his weapon to fire at him. He pulled put a jellybean and fired at the gun, destroying it and shocking everybody including Monokuma. Enraged, Monokuma ordered more guns to be unleashed and threatened to kill everyone present and he was unable to pull out a mochi shield to protect everyone.**_

 _'I knew it, I'm not strong enough to do any of my techniques, best I can do is take it head on and this situation will blow over and we can move on.'_ Katakuri said to himself, stopping of letting out a sigh of slight annoyance.

 _ **"No answer, huh? As expected as much since you're staring at one of my personal favorite punishment carriers. Now then..."** _Just as he saw, Monokuma's smile threatened to split his face as he pointed a claw at Katakuri as everyone's eyes widened. _**"Pay attention, kiddos! This is what happens to any of you if you ever try to cross me like this idiot did to me! KILL HIM!"**_

Gasps and cries of terror were heard as they saw the mini-gun whirring rapidly as it received its orders to eviscerate the giant standing into shreds. Some of the students let out cries and warnings, trying to get Katakuri to back down or get away so he wouldn't get killed. Some are turning away to avoid seeing the soon-to-be massacre while a few of them stared intently with held breaths and anxiety as they are waiting to see what will happen next to the giant, will he survive or will he meet his end?

...

*thump thump*

"NO, GET AWAY!"

...

*thump thump*

"WHY THE HELL IS HE STILL STANDING THERE?!"

...

*thump thump*

"GET OUT OF THERE NOW!"

...

*thump thump*

"I CAN'T WATCH!"

...

*thump thump*

"PLEASE DON'T!"

Katakuri's eyes closed shut, closing off every noise from the bear's obnoxious laugh, the increasing whirring of the mini-gun, and the cries of horror from the students, trying their attempts of getting him out of the way. And right before he almost shutting off every single noise in the gym, he heard one cry that definitely stood out from all the shouting and cries. And it's no question that the source belonged to none other than...

...

*thump thump*

"KATAKURI-SAN!"

Then, the weapon fired.

...

*thump thump*

Cries were ringing throughout the gym as everyone watched in horror at seeing the defiant Katakuri facing head-on with an endless and deadly rain of tiny, flesh-rending bullets. Nobody could hear their screams and Monokuma's mad laughter over the incredibly loud whirring of the weapon and the firing of the silver hail. Everybody turned away from the gruesome sight as they felt their hearts tightened that this nightmare is definitely real, no form of denial could ever doubt the thought that they are trapped and are at the mercy of this...demented, two-tone bear who was having a field day as he watched the gun mercilessly firing thousands of bullets at Katakuri, who is covered in the smoke and debris.

The students ran away to get out of the way in case bullets may hit them or any shrapnel will scatter. They could do nothing but stare in almost numbing shock as they saw the gruesome example of someone meeting a horrible fate if one crosses Monokuma the wrong way. They could do nothing to shake the feeling of despair...the mind-numbing feeling of despair that they are fully trapped here and their fates are at the hands of Monokuma and the only person, the _only_ person who was capable of standing up to Monokuma and freeing them from this nightmare, was now being ripped to shreds by the wrath of the mini-gun.

Nobody was more appalled and horrified by the sight than that from Makoto Naegi, who's legs are wobbly by witnessing his first friend he met and was pretty cool, being torn to ribbons and pieces by the demonic bear and his execution weapon. His eyes widened in horror and his mouth was agape as he couldn't peer through the billowing smoke of debris and gunpowder.

The poor boy could do nothing but stare in absolute terror and horror as the seemingly endless shower of death and fire continued to eviscerate the gigantic man. Like Makoto, everybody else weren't faring any better as they watched the horror show in silent silence as the cries were long since gone quiet.

The only person...or thing who was not fazed by the sight one bit was Monokuma, who was beaming from ear to ear as he stared at the horrific scene in absolute giddiness and thrill. The bear continued to go on tangents by throwing insults at the seemingly dead man who will be collapse on the ground, unrecognizable to the human eye after the gatling gun finishes its rounds on him.

 _ **"HAHAHAHAHA! YES YES YES! EVISCERATE HIM, RIP HIM APART, MY LOVELY UNTIL THERE IS NOTHING LEFT OF HIM TO RECOGNIZE!"**_ The crazed, two-toned bear cried with an insane look and the sinister smile on his face as he's not enjoying the show...but is loving every single second of it. He's really happy that he's got it on camera to rewind and rewind over and over again to see the priceless looks of despair and horror on these kids faces when they're watching the horror show.

The firing of the gatling gun continued to echo throughout the entire gym, deafening everyone and drowning out any noise that wasn't the least bit loud to be heard. Then, what it seemed like an eternity, the showering finally stopped and the gatling ceased its rounds of what it appears to be hitting its last rounds. The whirring of the gun dwindled bit by bit until the last bullets were fired and the whirring and the gun finally stopped.

After the firing stopped...after the whirring stopped...the gym fell into another set of silence as every students' eyes couldn't turn away from the thick fog of debris and death, dreading to see the ungodly horrific sight of Katakuri's shredded, unrecognizable body on the ground in a bloody puddle.

Makoto couldn't deny the fact that his friend, Charlotte Katakuri, who was seeming to be the only person who can stand up to Monokuma unfazed and unaffected by this whole life-and-death situation, is now lying dead in his own blood. He feel like throwing up by the mere thought of it.

Monokuma however, was still staring at the billowing smoke with the same crazed smile on his face, as if that smile wouldn't go away even if you kick him in the face, which was the feeling that he and unknown to him, Akane was feeling after seeing the one person who could give her the challenge of her life now dead.

 _ **"Whoo, that...was...exhilarating! I don't know about you boys and girls, but I was having the time of my life. How about y'all, wasn't that exciting?"** _Monokuma asked as he looked at the horrified and stupefied students with glee.

"W-w-why...what was there to gain from that?" Makoto whispered shakily.

Monokuma turned to the horrified luckster and grinned wider. _**"Why, I have to set an example to anyone who stands up against the headmaster in such a rude manner, you would understand that...am I right, hall monitor?"**_ The bear made a quick glance at Taka, who remained froze with fear and shock, not responding to the rhetoric.

"B-b-but still though...t-t-there's no reason for you...to do that..." Makoto retorted.

"Exactly, why did you have to kill him?! He did nothing to you!" Akane roared furiously, with her fists shaking at her side. She was about to march up to the bear if not for Nekomaru, who kept a firm grasp on her shoulder.

"Let go of me, Coach. I'm about to teach that pile of shit a lesson he won't EVER forget!" The gymnast didn't turned around as she was too focused on glaring daggers at the bear, who seemed to not care at the slightest.

"Owari-san, what would you gain if you do that, huh? If you put your hands on him, you would be in the same state, if not worse that Katakuri. DO YOU WANT THAT?!" Nekomaru bellowed.

Akane gritted her teeth in fury as she couldn't help but hear the truth in his words as she had no choice but to stand down. But that didn't stop her from glaring at Monokuma, while staring at the smoke that is no doubt protecting her from seeing the gruesome, bloodied sight of Katakuri's body. Her fists clenched so tightly, they threatened to bleed by the thought of fighting someone who was clearly superior to her by leagues and bounds, yet was still excited to have a few rounds with him, to be eviscerated on the floor.

"K-Katakuri...why..." The chestnut haired girl whispered, trying her best to hide the slightly sad tone in her voice from the others.

Along with Makoto and Akane, Himiko stared at the scene shaking as she couldn't fight the tears that are forming at the corners of her eyes. At first, like everyone else, she was terrified by Katakuri's monstrous appearance. But she found herself attracted to Katakuri from his usage of his talent and his ability to turn and morph into mochi at a whim without any secondary form of linkage or channeling. She was about to ask him to help her the best he can later on...but sadly, her dreams were shot down...figuratively and literally.

 _ **"Oh waa waa waa! Grow a pair already. All I did was set a prime example of insolence, nothing more or less, plus...he was starting to get on my nerves."**_ Monokuma mocked before twirling around then putting on a pose by pointing at the smoke that was now beginning to lift. _**"And now, guys and gals...I present to you the result of insolence to your headmaster, the now deceased Charlotte Katakuri!"**_

Everybody were dreading when the smoke of debris was starting to clear. The students held in their breaths, preparing themselves to seemingly to be the most disgusting, appalling, horrific sight they had ever laid eyes upon in this nightmare. Makoto's heart felt like stopping as he didn't want to see his new friend lying dead without looking recognizable.

The smoke was now clearing from the ground, and everybody watched in shell-shocked silence and dread of seeing Katakuri's body lying...

Up?

. . . . . . .

Huh?

That's right, what everybody expected the eviscerated body of Katakuri to be lying down in blood was in fact... _standing up_! There was not a drop blood on the clean, polished gym floors, not even a tiny speck of debris from the gatling gun's rapid fire. His legs were the first to be seen and they looked clean!

Everybody was shocked at seeing such a sight, but they couldn't shake the remaining dread that Katakuri died standing up and as soon as the smoke clears away completely, his mangled body will drop on the floor like a sack of rocks. But instead of blood, what took place was...white holes?

As the smoke was now beginning to clear higher, everybody let out gasps as they saw arms and the torso completely fine with the multiple white holes on his body. Are they dreaming, are they having another illusion? Instead of staring at a mangled, disfigured, Swiss cheese filled body, they found a body that was still standing up, upright and clean, with the arms and torso still in one piece!

Makoto's eyes widened as he saw the sight. The horrified, shell-shocked look on his face slowly changed into one filled with relief and joy. There's no blood, no guts, no gore, not even a droplet of red. There's only one answer to this and this was the first time ever since the introductions that he actually smiled...

Charlotte Katakuri was still alive!

And true to his thoughts, the smoke finally cleared away completely and to everybody's shock, bewilderment, and to a few relief, Charlotte Katakuri remained standing with his arms still folded, as if he was standing there taking a nap! The giant's eyes continued to glare at the bear, who was the most taken back by everyone present. How on earth did this man survive such an onslaught such as that?! There was _absolutely_ no way...anyone could survive that, let alone act like nothing had happened.

There were holes in Katakuri's body, but instead of bullet filled, gaping, blood running holes, these holes were like mochi holes, like the bullets were stopped by Katakuri! Everybody can't help but let out a few cries of shock and surprise at the otherworldly sight of seeing the man they assumed to be blitzed by the deadly hail of bullets, was standing still, exactly the way he was during the staredown, as if nothing had happened!

Unknown to Makoto, Akane let out a silent sigh of relief and her smile was beginning to form on her face as she took in the relief-inducing sight. Inside her heart, she was hoping that Katakuri would still be alive to give her the fight of her life. But now seeing the man who accepted her challenge standing there who took the flurry of bullets like a boss with absolutely no difficulty, she now admired the man even more for his strength, for he was truly her greatest challenge.

Himiko wiped away her tears as she couldn't help but let out a slight chuckle of relief of seeing Katakuri alive and well. She was fearing the worst of seeing the only person who could help her magic abilities be dead before the day had began, but now she can rest easy knowing that the man who carried the strongest form of mana possible now standing unfazed by Monokuma's attack.

Everyone else shared the exact faces of unimaginable shock of seeing someone who could do that! Nobody in the entire world, they _knew_ that no one could ever do something that Katakuri did! A person taking the merciless hail of orange and black and remained standing, not only taking the bullets but also catching them with his body...not even those like Kyoko and Byakuya would ever believe.

Monokuma took this the most. Like...wha-how? HOW?! HOW?! The bear's mind was racing a thousand miles an hour by the impossible sight of seeing the insolent, offensive man alive instead of dead. And what's worse, he could _feel_ the slight hope coming from the students, especially from the ahoge boy wearing that same, stupid smile on his face. The thought of that sickens him to his stomach, but the only thing he could do was stare in shock, horror, and rage.

"I take it that these belong to you?" Katakuri asked.

The white holes that were in Katakuri's body let out the bullets that were caught from the firing. He released the hundreds and hundreds of bullets and let them drop to the gym floor, the clattering of the bullets echoing in the gym, making the students even more shocked and amazed at the ability that Katakuri was not only bulletproof, but also can catch the bullets!

And of course, that sight had to get some feedback.

"W-w-what was that?"

"H-How in the hell did he do that?"

"W-w-wow...that was cool."

"That was awesome."

"Just what is he?"

"No one could do that, how did he catch them all?"

"Magic."

Everybody turned to the person who mention that, and of course it belonged to the redhead magician Himiko Yumeno, who was still staring at Katakuri with amazement and awe. "He did it by using magic."

And this time, not even Hiro could say anything as everyone was starting to think the exact same thing.

Makoto smiled wider as he looked at Katakuri with newfound awe by him taking the punishing, lethal showers of the gatling gun. "Wow, Katakuri-san..."

Katakuri took in on the reactions and he couldn't help but smile a bit after hearing Himiko and Makoto's reactions, because unlike those that were filled with shock and slight fear, theirs was filled with awe, relief, happiness, and amazement. He remained focused on the fuming Monokuma, who was gritting his teeth at the amount of hope in the air.

"Wanna see what a bullet can _actually_ do?" Katakuri asked. That caught everyone by surprise as he mentioned that. Monokuma was confused as well but still it didn't replaced the seething fury of seeing that his gatling gun, one of his personal favorite execution devices, had done jack to Katakuri.

The crimsonhead reached into his pocket and was fishing for a bit until he pulled out something that raised everyone's eyebrows, including Monokuma's. The thing he pulled out to demonstrate how a bullet can do damage...

Was a jellybean.

Uhhhh...

Yep, one tiny jellybean, one small candy...was the thing that Katakuri proclaimed that will show what a bullet can actually do.

The students were put off by that the thing that Katakuri will retaliate after that barrage of bullets from the gatling gun was a simple jellybean. Though some of them want to scoff at the sight, they couldn't shake off the feeling that Katakuri will do something _frightening_ by using a small jellybean against Monokuma.

However, one person voiced out those who wanted to scoff at the sight of the bean. Monokuma howled and bowled over in laughter at it, cackling at Katakuri who was not fazed at the slighest at the mockery. The bear pulled out his handkerchief again to wipe away the tears from his eyes.

 _ **"Ohhh, that's rich! Are you...are you serious now? You really think that tiny, everyday, insignificant candy will do better than my execution device can't do?! HAHAHAHAHA, WOW...YOU REALLY ARE AN IDIOT!"**_ Monokuma mocked as he pointed at the small bean in the giant's hand.

While Monokuma was too busy mocking Katakuri, Makoto stared warily at the bean in his hand. The luckster knew what Katakuri is capable of, like...he was a titan when he first met him, he can morph into mochi like it's second nature, he can unleash an aura so monstrous it'll make the weak willed ones faint, _and_ he is bulletproof. There is one thing Makoto and a few students know about Charlotte Katakuri...

You do not underestimate him.

 _'A jellybean? Wait...is he going to do what I think he's doing?! Is it possible for that candy to be stronger than a bullet?!'_ Makoto said to himself as his eyes widened when he's starting to get of what's about to happen.

 _ **"I'll hand it to you, big boy, you're a real joker aren't ya? Whew, I needed a good laugh after that. Please, humor me some more, Katakuri, just what could possibly happen if you use that candy bean? Thump me? Throw it at me? No no, wait...you have some more and you want to make a peace offering after that failed execution?"**_ The bear mocked even more as he's unaware of what's _truly_ about to happen. The students were beginning to be more wary as they had the feeling that some even more crazy is about to happen.

As if he's reading their minds, Katakuri's eyes narrowed and his eyes became more on the empty gun hanging from the ceiling. He took the jellybean and he put it in a flicking position and aimed it at the gun. That gained everyone's attention as they saw the position that candy is in, is he planning on shooting it? Flicking it to the gun, but what can it do? Some are skeptic, and some of them are scoffing of what can a candy bean like that can do.

Like, what's the worst thing that bean can possibly do? Will it make a little thump at the gun? Flicking it at Monokuma to annoy him? Or will it-

"Don't blink."

* _flick*_

 _**SHATTER, CRASH**_

Pierce and destroy the mini-gun?

. . . . .

. . . . .

HUUUUHHH?!

. . . . .

No one saw what just happened. All they saw was a small, pink blur and the next split second, a military-grade, seemingly indestructible Gatling gun that was hanging from the gym ceiling...was completely destroyed.

Not like it pierced through the gun, but after that blur flew through the steel mini-gun, the entire weapon fell from the ceiling and it crashes on the floor in a jumbled, mangled mess. The crash echoed in the gym, sending the students and Monokuma in another thunderstruck silence as they saw what just happened.

The students' eyes popped and widened in utter shock, fear, and bewilderment, and awe at the insane sight. Not only they just saw Katakuri alive and clean without a graze from Monokuma's weapon, but they saw that a jellybean, the thing that Katakuri proclaimed it to be greater than the gun's bullets, flew at crazy speeds and _destroyed_ a powerful, steel mini-gun with ease that it was like a hot knife cutting through butter!

The blur that obliterated the weapon ricocheted from the wall by the entrance of the gym and it flew at such an incredible speed that not even the combative students could track its inhuman speed. The blur flew right back at Katakuri who held his right hand and caught the blur, not without a small smoke trail after he caught it.

Katakuri took in all the dumbfounded expressions from everyone, especially one from the two-toned bear who was left stupefied and shaken after what he saw. And if that wasn't enough, the crimsonhead opened his hand and let everyone saw what was the thing that destroyed the gun. The second he opened his hand, the students let out a horrified, shaken, and astonished gasps as they saw what was the object that Katakuri used to obliterate the mini-gun.

The weapon that Katakuri used...was the jellybean.

"Holy crap!"

"Are you serious?! It was the jellybean?!"

"No...fucking...way..."

"H-H-H-HOLY SHIT, ARE YOU FOR REAL?!"

"That's impossible! There's no way a simple candy could do that!"

"W-w-w-what?! You kiddin' me, right?!"

"That was awesome!"

"WHOOOOAAA! THAT...WAS...SO...COOL!"

The combative students were also stunned when they saw that the blur that pierced through the weapon was the same jellybean Katakuri pulled out earlier.

 _'That speed...that was unlike anything I had ever seen...not even I could move that fast!'_

 _'If that candy alone could be faster than the blink of an eye...then his speed would be...'_

 _'Monstrous...almost godlike...'_

 _'Using mere candy as projectiles that'll pierce even steel. That is both fascinating_ and _terrifying.'_

 _'My tracking didn't kept up with that speed. It's even faster than those gun's bullets.'_

 _'This guy...his strength is unimaginable!'_

 _'THAT WAS AMAZING! IT BOTH AMAZES ME AND TERRIFIES ME! Though I wouldn't expect less coming from the guy I'm about to duke it out against.'_

Makoto watched in thunderstruck awe as his amazement at Katakuri was increased more after not only coming out from the bullet blitz alive and well, but also destroyed the execution weapon with a jellybean, a _j_ _ellybean_! The ahoge boy's mind wandered of how much power does Katakuri have if he's able to flick a candy like a bullet and being able to destroy a military weapon such as a gatling gun.

 _'Katakuri-san, just how powerful are you?'_ Makoto wondered to himself as he continued to stare at Katakuri with awe.

"How does that for a bullet, Monokuma?" Katakuri queried with the same intense look in his face.

The bear in question stared at the jellybean projectile, then turned to the mangled scrap metal mess that was his execution weapon. Then he turned to the fallen mini-gun bullets. Jellybean bullet, scrap metal, failed execution. Bullet, trash, failed execution. Monokuma's face slowly turned to red as his face contorted to a snarl as he's beginning to piece in together of what just happened.

First, he was having a great day, popping out of nowhere, scaring these students and letting them know that the only escape route of this life sentence will be killing each other without getting caught in a frenzy of despair, chaos, and treachery he so ached to see. Second, the students were complaining, threatening, and whining about the rules and it gotten on his nerves of the denial.

Third, this impudent man waltzed up to him and _commanded_ him to shut up, the headmaster of this school. Fourth, he unleashed one of his favorite execution devices to show the students of what will happen to those that dare to cross him the wrong way, only to find out that not only the man survived the mini-gun's attack, he was also _bulletproof_!

And if that wasn't bad enough, he pulled out a jellybean, an everyday candy, and told him that the candy will show what a bullet can actually do. He then flicked the jellybean and it turned into a projectile so powerful and fast, it _completely destroyed_ one of his most precious execution weapons! Destroyed it! With ease! And he didn't even put any effort! To say that Monokuma was angry was an understatement...

The bear was livid!

 _ **"RAAAAAGHHHH! YOU INSOLENT, ARROGANT, PIECE OF CRAP! HOW DARE YOU WALTZED UP TO ME AND DESTROY MY PRECIOUS MACHINE! YOU THINK YOU'RE SO TOUGH, WITH YOUR TOO-TALL LEGS AND CANDY BULLETS! YOU THINK YOU CAN STOP ME FROM SPREADING DESPAIR AND CHAOS IN THESE STUDENTS' MINDS AND GET AWAY WITH IT?!"**_

The students were surprised by the confrontation between the two. They just saw Katakuri denying Monokuma of his authority and insulted him without any hesitation. Then they saw a gatling gun from the ceiling and Monokuma used it to kill the giant, but only to found out that not only Katakuri was alive but also caught the bullets, every last one of them. And then, they saw something that was unlike anything they've ever saw: they saw Katakuri pulled out a jellybean, an everyday candy, and flicked it and it instantly turned into a bullet and destroyed the weapon, like it was nothing!

So, after such a performance, it's obvious that most of the students are getting confident and deciding to turn their fear and despair of the nightmarish situation into rage and anger at Monokuma, who noticed the changed attitudes of the students.

"Seeing as how he's standing up against you, we might as well join along!" A gruff voice barked out.

Katakuri, Monokuma, and everyone turned to and saw that the first student to stand against the bear after what happened was none other than the **Ultimate Biker** , Mondo Owada.

"Now, listen here you piece of shit, tell us the way out of here or we will rip your stuffing out!" Mondo barked angrily at the unfazed bear.

"Hang on, Owada, this little fucker is mine after putting us through such a shitstorm!" The **Ultimate Gangster** growled out as he followed after the biker, with Peko walking with a few feet beside Fuyuhiko with the same, slightly guarded expression.

 _ **"Oh really? Now you decide to bold up against me after he destroyed my weapon. Boys, you got some nerve to walk up and threaten me after such a thing. Maybe underneath that rugged, violent exterior there is a soft-shelled, spineless wimp that only does anything when someone else does something for them."**_ Monokuma replied with a carefree yet annoyed tone, sending both Mondo and Fuyuhiko into pure, seething rage.

"Oh...that does it..."

"RAAAAAGHH!" And before anyone realized, Mondo raced up to Monokuma and picked him up, holding his throat with Fuyuhiko snarling at the bear with a contorted face that promised the bear a horrific death.

"You'll regret saying that, you shitstain! If you don't let us out right now, you will be the FIRST victim of your so-called game of yours!" Mondo shouted as he shook the bear.

"Even though you're a fucking inanimate object, ripping you apart will make me feel soooo much better. Then after I'm finished tearing your ass up, I will find your real, bitch ass and CAVE YOUR GODDAMN FACE IN!" Fuyuhiko bellowed as he cracked his knuckles as he's too ready to rip apart the teddy bear.

 _ **"Ahhhh! School rules said that no harm should come before the headmaster!"**_ Monokuma panicked as he's flailing in the air as Mondo lifted him off the ground.

"Bitch, shut the fuck up and tell us how to get out of-" Mondo started before strangely, Monokuma went limp and suddenly, a beeping noise came from the bear. They all stared at the mechanical bear for a moment when the beeping kept going, which was making both the Biker and Yakuza more pissed.

Katakuri's eyes began to widen when the beeping noise began to sound familiar. _'No way, you don't think...'_

"What, no smartass comebacks this time?" Mondo asked as he tightened his grip on the bear's neck.

"Hmph, it seems the piece of shit finally pissed himself." Fuyuhiko smirked as the beeping kept getting louder and more frequent.

"What's with this goddamn noise?" Mondo asked as he glared at the beeping bear.

Then, it clicked to him.

"Toss him!" Katakuri called out, gaining both the hot-tempered boys and everyone's attention as they began to realize what's happening.

"Huh?..." Mondo asked in confusion as the beeping became more frequent and it finally clicked in everybody's heads of what's going on.

"Dumbass, throw him away!" Miu barked as she instinctively raised her arms to shield herself.

"TOSS HIM AWAY, MONDO, IT'S A BOMB!" Kyoko cried out in fear for her fellow classmates.

Now understanding the situation, Mondo chucked the thing as far as he could from everyone. A brief moment later, the insanely ticking Monokuma exploded in a bright and loud flash. Dust and gunpoweder filled the air as everyone shared with stunned and shocked looks as they saw the wicked bear died. They all knew the weight of the situation is at hand, and that this is not a joke, but a cruel reality.

 _'A time bomb feature added to the mechanical bear if one of us harms him in any way. A cold yet calculative move to put them in line. That amount of explosives would've blew some of these students' faces away.'_ Katakuri analyzed as he saw the explosion and the shocked looks on the students' faces as they experienced a near-death situation.

"W-w-what the hell, man! That could've blew my face off!" Mondo yelled out with a stunned expression on his face.

"Well, that was a certain display of fireworks." Kokichi mused with a sly grin.

Katakuri glanced at the Supreme Leader. _'Hmm, I don't know either he's lying to get everyone's negative attention or he's really into it. Whatever the case may be, he'll certainly be a problem in the future.'_

Katakuri's not the only one who stared at Kokichi with a wary look as Hajime glanced at him with the same expression. _'What kind of person gets off from stuff like that?'_

"So...does this means that the teddy bear's kaput?" Chihiro asked nervously as she stared at the remains of the mechanical bear.

 _ **"Not a teddy bear, Monokuma!"**_ The psychotic bear suddenly popped out of nowhere as everyone minus Katakuri in the gym looked like they saw a ghost.

"H-huh, another one?" Hiro exlaimed in sheer shock as Monokuma gave everyone an evil smile.

"Didn't teddy bear just exploded, how is there another one? Gonta is confused." The Entomologist said as he looked at Monokuma with a confused expression.

"W-wait...you don't mean..." Kazuichi's eyes widened in horror and realization as he and many others are piecing together on why there's another Monokuma.

 _ **"That's right, there are plenty of Monokumas in the building just to keep the order here. Consider that a verbal warning, young men. Get smart with me again, any of you..."**_ Monokuma's face turned red as he unsheathed his claws. _**"And let's just see that instead of a verbal warning, you will receive instant corporal punishment!"**_

All the students had stunned and shocked expressions at the way that Monokuma warned everyone that next time if someone harms him, they will die. Not even ones like Yasuhiro could deny that what's happening right now is real.

"You son of a bitch! You actually were trying to kill me and Owada!" Fuyuhiko yelled out in rage at the bear

 _ **"Well, duuuuh. I was serious about trying to kill both of you. Manhandling the headmaster is a direct violation to one of the school's regulations."**_ Monokuma explained with an irritated tone.

"You fucking piece of shit! No one tried to fucking kill me! I'll make you regret the day you were born, I will crush your legs, and I will cut off your fingers and shove them so far down your goddamn thro-" Kuzuryu's threats were cut off by the monochromatic bear.

 _ **"I don't think you're in a position to threaten me, after I was so nicely to let you off with a warning?"**_ Monokuma asked in a carefree tone, but he didn't backed down from Fuyuhiko's glare. _**"I mean, if you really want me to, I could give you a more severe punishment next time rather than a quick and painless one."**_

The gangster gave Monokuma a stunned look as he tried to retort back, but before he could, a grunt was heard from the crowd. Fuyuhiko looked up and saw Katakuri still glaring at the bear but before not giving him a look of that says _'now's not the time.'_ Along with Katakuri, Peko put her hand on her shoulder and wordlessly shook her head no. Fuyuhiko scowled lightly, but remained silent.

 _ **"Hmph, that's what I thought. I"ll let you off with a warning this time since I'm being so forgiving. Any naughty boy or girl who violates my rules won't get off with a flick on the wrist! Plus, don't forget there are surveillance cameras installed everywhere to make me aware of any rule breaking that you do. And if you get caught breaking, well...let's say the punishment would be more severe than that gun that our Katakuri**_ **gracefully _destroyed."_** Monokuma gave the giant a look but Katakuri brushed it aside. Almost everyone looked nervous or frustrated as they eyed Monokuma and the cameras with disdain.

"H-h-how is that punishment...That's...wrong..." Fujisaki cried out in a horrified tone.

"T-t-t-that's just m-mur-murder..." Mikan squeaked out in disbelief.

 _ **"That's the point, missy. I don't think you could consider my other punishments to be merciful, and quite frankly, going out of that way and being merciful would defeat the purpose."**_ The bear mused out in his usual carefree tone, while most of the students cringed in disgust at the thought of facing a fate worse than death.

 _ **"But moving on, we must press on to the final remainder of the ceremony! Concerning the confiscation of your cellphones, I had prepared a little somethin' somethin' for all of you..."**_ He dived under the red clothed table before coming out with his hands full with something that looked like blue cards.

 _ **"TADA! These are your student handbooks! Pretty nifty, I would say. Fully digital and operational, so naturally, I called these...the e-handbooks!"**_ The bear called out before stopping for a moment as he stared at the stupefied students.

 _ **"Ehhhh...moving on! These handbooks are absolutely vital to a healthy school life, so don't lose 'em!"**_ Monokuma jumped on the stage before handing out the handbooks to everyone, except Katakuri.

 _ **"Quite obviously, since you're a newbie here, I didn't had the time to create another handbook for you, Kat. But don't worry, I'm sure you can manage quite without the handbook. Maybe I'll look past the destruction of property you committed and make you an e-handbook out of my generous, warm beary heart."** _The bear smirked at the crimsonhead, who didn't waver at the absence of the devices, but he looked at them with slight intrigue.

 _ **"Alrighty then, these handy-dandy notebooks aren't your everyday notebooks. These are completely waterproof and smashproof! So drown them, splash them, smash them, punch them, heck, blow them up and they'll still be operational! These are the state-of-the-art, space-age designed notebooks, meaning that they can withstand up an impact force of ten tons. Not only it contained your information, but it also contains all of the school's regulations, so make sure you review them carefully! I know you'll get sick and tired of hearing me saying this, but any of these violations will be met with extreme force. Harsh yes, but rules are there to protect and serve."**_

 _'Hmmm, water resistant and impact resistant. These devices seemed to be more advanced than any of the Germa Kingdom's coming-of-age technology. As much as I dislike of saying it, I may need to require its uses from here on in.'_ Katakuri said to himself as he took in all the features of the digital notebooks.

Almost everyone shuddered at the thought of any violations will be met with an immediate demise, and the thought of not fighting back against the bear will make them prisoners here for the rest of their lives.

 _ **"Aaaaaand that's about to wrap up the welcoming ceremony! Please enjoy the rest of your school lives and keep out of trouble!"**_ The bear gave a little bow before heading to the mic stand and right before he'll give his farewells, he gave Katakuri a glare. _**"Oh, and one more thing, Katakuri. Destruction of property are one of my pet peeves. Do that again...and maybe next time, instead of executing you since it's proven useless...I will execute these little kiddies when you pull that stunt again. Since you're so big and strong, maybe you could prove me wrong."**_ The bear's red eye glowed at Katakuri, who gave the bear a glowering look that'll make the most hardened criminals cry out by the threat on these kids' lives. Even though he don't know much, he's not a fan of disregarding life. The students looked at the giant nervously as the thought of them getting killed because of Katakuri's actions, even very few of them are looking at him with wariness for the concern of their well-being.

 _ **"And that's it! Now, please enjoy Hope's Peak Academy, see ya later!"**_ Monokuma jumped off the mic stand and disappearing into the floors, leaving everyone to digest of what just happened.

"I...I don't understand any of what's going on..." Leon said in a dazed like state as everyone couldn't blame him as they what they all just witnessed.

"T-T-This is a horrible n-n-nightmare! A horrible, horrible, horrible nightmare!" Mikan cried with tears in her eyes as all the anxiety and fear caught up to her.

"Kill another student...to escape. That sounds like a dark, psychological manga." Tsumugi frowned.

"You read manga?!" Yamada's eyes lit up as he forgotten about the whole situation.

Ryoma shook his head. "Seems like our attention span is limited." he mused dryly as he put his hands in his pockets.

"W-What do we do now?" Hanamura's voice shook as he glanced around nervously, his Cajun accent becoming more noticeable in his fearful state.

"T-There's nothing we can do! We're all gonna die..." Fukawa exclaimed as she gripped her pigtails with a manic expression.

"Everyone stay calm. Panicking like this will worsen the situation as it is." Kyoko said in a level tone, thought it only served to rile up the students out of their fearful state of mind.

"We basically need to take a moment to summarize our situation to what Monokuma said. We have two choices in the matter. Choice A, we do nothing and we'll remain here for the rest of our lives. And Choice B..."

"So I assume that the only way to leave this place is to kill one another without getting caught, right?" Celestia finished her sentence while twirling her drills.

"This is absolutely bogus!" Taka exclaimed with a nervous look in his eyes.

"N-no...t-this has to be a joke..." Chihiro cried as she's about to have a breakdown like Mikan and Toko.

"How does this even happen in the first place?!" Mahiru cried out as she buried her face in her hands.

"Calm down, everyone! Like Kirigiri said, panicking will get us nowhere!" Sonia commanded in her regal tone that made everyone calm down, to an extent. "We needn't panic otherwise we will be doing what Monokuma wants us to do! I, for one, have no intention of doing such actions.

"I'm for one with the princess! I'm not going to do what the jackass wants us to do!" Kaito exclaimed as he slammed his fists together. Maki who stood a few feet away from him, rolled her eyes but ever so slightly, admired his determination.

"She's right, no way we're gonna let that bear trick us!" Akane yelled out confidently.

"Whether what your intentions are real or false, what matter is that whether anyone here took it face value...?" Togami said critically as he eyed everyone in the gym intensely. "Because quite frankly, does anyone ever considered of living in this box for the remainder of their lives? Or are any of you considering murder?" he suggested with an intense tone.

"How could you say such a thing like that?!" Kaede gasped at the heir.

"Am I now? Whether you like it or not, I'm just stating the cold, hard truth. Fantasies like these will get us nowhere." Togami replied with a slightly amused tone.

Then, the Supreme Leader walked up beside Byakuya with a sly grin. "And besides, we're all strangers here in this unknown place. Are you willing to put your life in the hands of a stranger who may be taking this situation seriously?"

The gymnasium fell silent for a moment, as Kokichi's question seemed to permeate the room. Everyone gave one another a suspicious gaze, as one thing became abundantly clear. Katakuri, who was standing in the very middle of the students, took in all the suspicious gazes everyone was sending each other as he looked at Makoto, who remained on the stage since the whole debacle, who also shared a look at Katakuri as both of them know one thing:

The Killing Game had officially begun.

 _End of chapter_

* * *

 ** _AN: AAAAAAAAND DONE! Chapter 7 is complete, I'm so happy I was able to update the story within the month without waiting. I just wanted to keep the ball rolling yet keeping the quality of the story so I won't focus too much on the quantity of the story. Thank you so much for the reviews, likes, and favorites and follows! I'm so happy I'm able to please your reading with this fanfiction in this nonexistant part of the DR crossover community. Heck, even Naruto, the only anime series with nearly over 20,000 (maybe) stories, had like 13 stories in Danganronpa alone._**

 ** _Once again, like, favorite, follow, and review, no flames please! If I missed any detail or any error I made, please let me know._**

 **Beta-readed by King Carlos and Shadow of Life. Brainstorming buddy is ZGMF-X13A Providence, please check out their stories!**


	9. Chapter 8: Taking it in pt 1

**Chapter 8: Taking it in pt. 1**

"What's up?"-dialogue

 _'Eh, been better, you?'-_ thoughts/flashback

*splash*-onomatopoeia

 **Ultimate Fry Cook-** title

 _ **Hey kiddos-**_ Katakuri's Future/Monokuma

* * *

 **AN: _Heyyyyy, I'm back~ Welcome to the eighth chapter of the story. I would first like to say thank you so much for your patience and intrigue of this story. I hope I'm sending quality chapters that'll make the story more engaging, funny, and intense. First things first..._**

 ** _OVER 9000 VIEWS?! Over 50 people favorite and follow this story? Guys and gals, I can't say it in other words but just a big, hearty thank you. *hugs everyone* Really guys, I thank you so much for the views, favorites, follows, and reviews. I'm really happy that I'm giving you guys a good fanfiction that deserves to be out there and be read by everyone and hopefully make fellow fanfic writers make crossovers with Danganronpa to increase its small section. Please don't hesitate to review the story if I'm missing elements, story progression, characters, or grammatical errors, no flames please. Any critical and fair review is fine and will make me increase my writing abilities even more. And for those who lost interest, thank you for taking the time to read my fanfic._**

 _ **And now, our fellow and adorable Ultimate Luckster himself, Makoto Naegi, will say the disclaimer to start this puppy! Eggy, if you please.**_

 **Makoto: Sure, no problem. *sees crowd and gets nervous* Uhhh...**

 ** _Goku D. Uzumaki: *whispers* You got this, man._**

 **Makoto: *nods and clears throat* _The following is a non-profit, fan-based fanfiction. Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, Goodbye Despair, V3: Killing Harmony, Danganronpa the Animation, Danganronpa 3: Despair, Future, Hope Arc, and Danganronpa Zero are all owned by Too Kyo Games, Spike, Funimation, and Kazutaka Kodaka. One Piece is owned by Shueisha, Toei Animation, and Eiichiro Oda. Please support the official releases._**

 ** _Goku D. Uzumaki: *thumbs up*_**

 **Katakuri: *nods***

 **Makoto: *blushes slightly**

* * *

 **Day One**

 **First Floor**

 **Gym**

 **11:00 a.m.**

The gym fell into silence as the air thickens from the tension as the students stared at one another with wary and suspicious looks after Byakuya and Kokichi's words. As some of them stared with fear and trepidation, some of them stared with alert and wariness in case some of them were planning on killing them. They all knew in their minds after the demented bear's ultimatum: either kill your fellow students or stay in this academy for the rest of their lives.

The students were in between a rock and a hard place, either get killed in a gruesome way or have their lives slowly dwindle to their twilight years, which is a fate worse than death. No one wanted to stomach the sickening thoughts of living their lives in this one location, having the outside world slowly forgetting you, their loves ones worrying to death about their well-being and someday die trying of not finding them. Nor the twisted, horrendous thought of losing your grip on reality and sanity so much, you would be willing to kill a young student who had no desire of killing one another, let alone _get_ killed. The horrible reality finally settled on the minds of the students as they all came up with one similar thought:

They have got to get out of here, or die trying.

"Well, what are we going to do about it, standing here all day and stare at each other to death? All of this solves nothing if we don't do anything." Katakuri stated, being the first to break the tensed silence.

His words snapped the students out of their intense trances as they all agreed on doing something. "Y-you're right, what are we supposed to do to help quell our nerves?" Kaede asked as she looked up at the giant.

Katakuri looked at the blonde. "The best choice of action for all of us to do is to assess the situation and scour this place and get a bearing to our surroundings."

"He's right." Another voice joined in and it was none other than Twogami with his arms folded. "Standing here will solve nothing but give that bear the advantage. If we look around and learn this place, we can get a better grip on the situation by rationalizing the best possible way of leaving this place without resorting to any of those morbid choices."

That made the students get out of their funk further as they agreed that their ideas was the best choice of action. "You're right! We can't stand around here all day and be in this muck. We need to work on getting out of here." Kaito exclaimed as he punched his fists together.

"And how will this would work? This place is massive and it'll take a few hours for all of us to look around." Leon asked as he, Mondo, and Kibo are looking at the mic stand where Monokuma disappeared as they tried to find something useful.

"Well first, we need to look over the rules that the bear set and be able to work around the situation without the risk of breaking these rules, lest we face our...'punishment'." Taka replied as he drawn out the last part earning a few nervous looks from the students. Everyone pulled out their e-handbooks and looked at the rules that were applied.

* * *

 **School Regulations**

 **1.) Students may reside only within the school. Leaving campus is an unacceptable use of time.  
**

 **2.) "Nighttime" is from 10 pm to 7 am. Some areas are off-limits at night, so please exercise caution.**

 **3.) Sleeping anywhere other than the dormitory will be seen as sleeping in class and punished accordingly.**

 **4.) With minimal restrictions, you are free to explore Hope's Peak Academy at your discretion.**

 **5.) Violence against headmaster Monokuma is strictly prohibited, as is destruction of surveillance cameras.**

 **6.) Anyone who kills a fellow student and becomes "blackened" will graduate, unless they are discovered.**

 **7.) Additional school regulations may be added if necessary.**

 **8.) The blackened can only kill two students, if more than that punishment will be given.**

 **9.) If equal votes are given to two students, both will be executed as long as one of them is the blackened.**

 **10.) Using the E-handbook of another student is strictly prohibited.**

 **11.) The body announcement sound will only activated when three or more students see the dead body, the killer is not included.**

 **12.) Survivors of another killing will go to the next killing game.**

 **13.) Survivors of a killing game can only happen when five people are left due to the killer's ability to kill two people leaving two witnesses**

 **14.) If any point during the trial the perpetrator is unable to be determined, a sacrifice must be made. The decision to enact a sacrifice requires a majority vote. The "sacrificial lamb" much like the perpetrator is decided by the most votes and will be punished instead of the remaining students, due to the inability to discover the real blackened. If the blackened is still alive, they will automatically graduate if the sacrifice is made.**

* * *

Naegi stared at the rules shivering slightly. _'T-this is really happening...h-how could this day turned into such a nightmare? Are we really trapped in here unless we...'_ Makoto's stomach threatened to throw up any bile from the sickening thought of killing someone for the sake of freedom, there has to be a better way for them to leave this place without resorting to any of those options.

"Naegi." Katakuri called out, snapping the luckster out of his thoughts. To be honest, seeing Katakuri made Makoto calm down albeit a tad bit.

Naegi swallowed a lump of saliva in an attempt to calm his tense nerves. "W-what is it, Katakuri-san?"

"Apparently, our 'principal' left out one person of not having one of those digital notebooks. Would you mind if I see yours for a bit to have a look over the regulations that bear set for us?" Katakuri asked.

Weird, Monokuma didn't gave Katakuri an e-handbook? Maybe it's some kind of payback from destroying one of his execution devices, or maybe he's testing him in a way. Regardless, Makoto nodded. "S-sure thing." The luckster walked down from the stage as he walked up to the giant to hand him his digital notebook. Katakuri reached out and grabbed the notebook and began to look over the rules not before telling the tensed-up luckster something.

"Don't let that bear's words make you feel hopeless. Try to keep your head high and keep going forward on getting out of here. Let that be your number one priority, Makoto." After saying his piece, the crimsonhead turned to the notebook to look over the rules to get a grasp on them.

Makoto took the giant's words to mind and heart. While the situation does appear to be grim and having no possibility of escape, panicking and giving in to hopelessness will do nothing but worsen the already morbid and suspicious atmosphere the gym contained. The luckster kept the words and tried his best to get out of the sickly hopelessness the situation is bringing him in.

"H-hey, Naegi." Makoto turned around and saw Asahina looking at him with a solemn look that was completely opposite from her enthusiastic attitude earlier, looking at her sunken face makes the luckster frown even further.

"T-there's no need for us to get down like this. I'm sure we can find a way of getting the heck out of this place." The swimmer said with a slightly shaken tone in contrast from her bubbly one.

Makoto wasn't so sure on what Asahina had said, but remembering his gigantic friend's words made him put on a smile, a forced one. "Y-yeah, me too Asahina."

The luckster looked around the gym and saw the hopeless, frightened, tense, angry, and thoughtful expressions on the students' faces and can practically felt the despair and fear from the students. The mood after Monokuma's doomsday words took a serious skydive as everyone took in the horrible reality of the situation that they truly are trapped in this one location until the end of their days or leave by taking the life of another who also dreamed of leaving this place.

"T-t-t-this can't be r-r-real...we're really...g-gonna d-d-die..." Toko cried as she grasped her head as her body trembled like a leaf.

"I-is this really happening? H-how could this be happening?" Hiro asked as his eyes darted around the gym in a slight panic.

"...N-no, t-this has to be a joke..." Chihiro squeaked out as tears began to form at the corner of her eyes.

"T-this is sick...w-we're gonna die..." Sayaka whimpered as she hugged her shaking body.

"I-I-I-I don't wanna die..." Himiko whimpered as tears threaten to spill from her eyes.

"N-no worries Himiko-chan, Tenko is here to save you..." the Neo-Aikido Master said as she tried to encourage Himiko, though everyone could hear the slight waver in her tone.

Back at the giant, Katakuri finished looking over the rules from Makoto's handbook and kept them in his mind. Even though the rules may look like any standard by-the-books rulebook, he could see that there are sinister undertones in the rules. The giant let out a quiet scoff at the incredulity of the rules and how inane and cruel they are. The bear really expects someone like him to follow _his_ rules? If he was a different kind of person, he would've obliterated that overstuffed rejected Care Bear and destroyed these weak iron walls and let himself find his way back regardless.

But, Katakuri's not that kind of person who'll throw away lives, especially these younger ones. Even though he couldn't care less of what they do next, very few of them like Makoto and Himiko grabbed him and made him take a double take on the situation.

He's trapped in some kind of world, far far _far_ away from his homeworld with people he never seen before in his life. This world is extremely tame compared to his own world, which would make this one be a walk in the park. He had little to no recollection of what had occurred after his brutal fight against the black haired boy in the strange, surreal world of mirrors and can only remember the bruises and the extremely painful phantom pain on his left abdomen which is still sore by the way. His powers are extremely weak right now and he could do nothing other than morphing his body and using his future sight without straining his body, which would've been second nature if weren't for the pain.

And furthermore, he is among three classes full of teenagers who some of them have talent-based issues and are trapped in an academy with a teddy bear version of a discount Doflamingo as headmaster and would kill them all if any of them break a single rule. Their only chance of escaping the life sentence is by taking the life of another student without getting caught.

And adding the fact that he knew absolutely nothing of this strange world other than the info Makoto told him hours ago in the hallway about 'Hope's Peak Academy', the importance of talent, and everything the boy knows so far. As much as hates the thought of following the rules from the bear, he had to play along until he can gather up his strength and the knowledge of this world and find a way of heading back to his dimension.

To be quite honest, it'll leave a sickening feeling in his stomach if Makoto and Himiko gets killed by the hands of either of these potential would-be killers or if the psychotic bear plays dirty. So, there's only one thing Katakuri has in mind to make use of the life-and-death situation...

If the students would cease their pessimistic murmurings of giving up and feeling hopeless of the situation.

"Yep, it's official dudes, w-w-we are totally gonna die here!" Hiro exclaimed, garnering a few more panicking cries of the students.

"H-H-Hey, y-you can't say things like that! I-I-I'm too young to die!" Yamada added as he cupped his face as panic etched on his features.

"G-guys, calm down...freaking out like this would lead nowhere." Makoto said as he tried a feeble attempt of keeping the students calm.

"Oh, w-what would you know what to d-do, idiot? W-w-we have no way out!" Hiyoko jeered as she shakily pointed at the gaping luckster.

The gym began to start being filled with more loud exclamations and cries as the students began to feel more hopeless and fearful of the grim circumstances that loomed over their heads.

"That's enough."

A booming, commanding voice instantly ceased all the clamoring and further arguing from the classes. Everyone turned to the source of the baritone voice and of course, the one that stopped all the panicking was none other than Charlotte Katakuri, who remained absolutely calm during the entire situation. The giant's eyes intensified as he gathered the students' attention to let them know of his plan to make the best of the predicament.

"If you truly want to die like a bunch of sniveling worms, then by all means go right ahead."

Katakuri's cold words made everyone including Byakuya, Kyoko, Peko, Maki, and more like them flinch from the bluntness of the giant's words. Makoto stared wide eyed at the giant, he couldn't believe that his friend would say something so cold and heartless, it made him shiver from the fact that Katakuri can become indescribably frightening whenever.

Just before the students form their rebuttals, Katakuri continued his statement. "Panicking and thinking the absolute worst would do nothing but give the demented bear what he wants: despair, chaos, and suspicion. If you guys really want to leave this place without resorting to such a gruesome tactic, then I would suggest that we take the best of this situation. Even though that may not sound much, it's better than standing here worrying and tensing up while pointing fingers and giving each other 'subtle' suspicious glances."

Makoto and the students took in the crimsonhead's words and started to agree to him. If they continue to act suspicious and panic anymore and that would lead them to their demise even closer. Then, they all remembered of what this giant is capable of: they all saw him took on a mini-gun and remained unscathed other than gathered each and every bullet. Then as if on cue, they turned to the pile of scrap metal that was Monokuma's execution device which is completely demolished after Katakuri flicked a jellybean, a _jellybean_ , an everyday candy bean that shredded through the military grade weapon as if it was cutting through butter!

So it is quite obvious that the classes couldn't help but feel a bit optimistic despite the situation. Since Katakuri proved that he can still remain calm and not falter under the crippling pressure of despair and confront the crazed animatronic bear without hesitation, then it's almost natural, bizarrely even that the students would feel a bit courageous of their predicament.

 **"KATAKURI'S RIGHT! IT'S TIME TO STOP THINKING SUCH NEGATIVE THOUGHTS AND FOCUS ON GETTING OUT OF HERE!"** The bellowing shouting of Nekomaru snapped the students after taking in Katakuri's words. The boisterous coach flexed his muscular arms as blue lightning sparkled and crackled from his eyes as he's the first to agree with the giant's words.

"Yeah, we can't give up now when we're just getting started! Let's all focus on finding that son of a bitch!" Akane added as she cracked her knuckles as a manic grin formed on her features.

"Exactly! That cowardly piece of shit won't know what hit 'em!" Owada shouted as he punched his fist in an open hand.

"You're right, we can't sink in into despair! We have to make use of the situation to our advantage without resorting to such barbaric methods!" Sonia added as she flexed her arm with a courageous smirk on her face.

"If Miss Sonia thinks we can get out of this place alive and well, then I'm behind her one hundred percent all the way!" Kazuichi remarked as his eyes sparkled while staring at the Novoselic princess.

Makoto looked around and saw how everyone else are motivated by Katakuri's words, which he himself feeling the same way. The luckster couldn't help but pull a small smile as his worries and anxieties were gone by the giant's words. Makoto looked up to the crimsonhead and Katakuri gave him an affirming nod of reassurance to let him know that everything will be alright as long as they don't give in to hopelessness.

"Well, before we can think of any other methods we could do to our dear captor...I would like to have everyone's attention for a moment, please?" Celestia looked at the crowd with a cryptic smile. "The regulations say that our scheduled bedtime will be at 10 pm, if I do remember so vividly. I would like to make an addendum: that we should all head to our rooms by the time ten at night approaches upon us."

Kazuichi crossed his arms behind his head as he looked at the gambler with a bored expression. "I don't mean to sound rude or anything, but what will we gain if we do follow the rules?"

Celestia turned to the pink haired mechanic with the same poker face smile but nobody could deny that there is a slight intensity in her ruby eyes as she's staring not only Kazuichi but to everyone in general. "Because of the circumstances tensing everyone's nerves to the point that everyone will assume who will be a killer, the night hours are a perfect time for anyone to commit any foul deeds while we rest in our dorm rooms. And adding the fact that even the quietest of sounds such as creaking or thumping will set us off with our emotions under the pressure of this life-or-death situation, I say that everyone being in their appropriate dormitories will be the best option to ease our nerves a bit. Also with our headmaster's promise to execute anyone who will break the rule, I say that's a fair deal."

Everyone was slightly taken back by the gambler's icy words as they all agreed that Celestia's words hit the mark. If they wish to see the light of tomorrow, they all need to follow the rules to the letter. The sharp toothed mechanic let out a squeak as he was a bit fearful from Celestia's response.

"U-U-Uh...I guess that makes sense." Kazuichi stammered as he rubbed the back of his head with a nervous grin.

Katakuri took in the gambler's words and piece together what she had said. _'Smart move. Knowing the situation that is at hand, anyone with a weaker will would easily take a life if the chance is given, especially if everyone is asleep in their rooms. Even though the rule seems ridiculous, I would have to work my way at the rule since I don't want to endanger any of these lives. Plus with the fact that almost everyone is wary of me except Naegi, Yumeno, and Owari, I would need to use the remaining day hours at the best to scour this place and gather information of this world.'_ The giant said to himself as he observed Celestia.

Kokichi walked up beside the gambler with a sly smirk with his arms folded behind his back. "Shishishi, a smart and risk-taking move I would say, Miss Ludenburg. That would spoil the fun a bit but that would keep everyone at bay, if they are willing to."

Without looking at the supreme leader, Celestia responded. "Why, of course. It's a gambler's job to risk anything for the end goal."

"So, what do you suggest we do with the remainder of the day hours then?" Kaito asked with his arms crossed.

"I would say that we take the time and look around this place and get a good bearing to our surroundings." Katakuri replied as everyone turned to the giant.

"What good would that do our predicament?" Leon asked with his hands in his pockets.

"Strength are in numbers one will say. If one would be in a situation similar or worse than this, they will take the time and observe. Observing unknown surroundings and adapting to it are one of the key factors of gaining an advantage in a grim situation." The giant replied.

"As much as it irks me, I would have to agree with him. We should take the remainder of our hours and scour this place to take in the rooms, floors, and locations of the academy to get a better bearing to the school." Togami agreed as he walked up to the students with his arms folded.

"Who died and put you in charge, asshole?" Mondo growled as he glared at the heir who was unfazed by the insult.

"Hey, it's rude to interrupt someone! Just listen to what he's gonna say." Kaede remarked with a scolding look on her face. Mondo was surprised and instead of being more angry, he was genuinely surprised that he was being called out, especially from a girl.

"Thank you for silencing the moron. Like I said, we should take the time and have a look around the place if we are going to get a better chance of getting out of this deathtrap alive." Togami finished as he pushed his glasses.

"So what is the plan, big guy?" Akane asked in a laid-back tone.

"Like Katakuri said, there's strength in numbers, or divide and conquer as another one would say. I say we should split into groups and have a look around this place and meet up afterwards and give each other information of what we have gathered after scouring the academy. Like the rules said, we have absolute freedom of roaming and we should use that rule to our advantage." Twogami added as he walked beside the skinny heir who gave the impostor a disdainful glare.

"Hmmm, it would seem to provide stronger alibis for those who choose cooperation in case of an incident." Celeste mused as she laced her hands together.

"Perhaps, but I do not intend for someone to be dying, if all at possible. I know that some of us are wary and difficult to be cooperative in a group. I suggest that we split into six groups with let's say seven or eight people and explore our surroundings. Beyond that, I suggest that on a daily basis, we disperse during curfew. Doing that will increase our free time greatly before the compromise limit our hours." The heavyset boy added.

"Also, it would be beneficial that each group should select an appropriate captain to keep track and be responsible for keeping their group together." Katakuri offered.

"I agree, any group without a structure are doomed to fail." Kirumi mused softly.

Katakuri nodded. "Then it's official. Let's divide up into groups and select a leader to glue their respective group until the time to disperse. Since there's forty-seven of all of you adding me would be forty-eight, so there should be six groups. That should be enough to discourage any kind of violence."

The students took in the plan and after taking in what Katakuri, Togami, and Twogami said, they all agreed to it. It may not be much, but they all agree it's better than standing around and being more hopeless and playing the blame game. The only question is, where should they start?

* * *

 **Day One**

 **First Floor**

 **Gym**

 **11:20 a.m.**

"Katakuri-san." The giant looked down and saw Makoto looking at him while scratching his face with a finger. "Since we are splitting into groups, would you mind if I can tag along with you, if you don't mind?"

The giant hummed. "As much as it sounds like a good idea, I would prefer going solo on my roam."

The luckster couldn't help but feel a little down after Katakuri turned down the offer. He was about to walk and find someone else but Katakuri called him. "But if it makes you feel better, after all of us are satisfied or had enough roaming, I'll let you tag along with me the next time we scour this place."

Makoto's face beamed as his smile became more bright than before as he heard that Katakuri wanted him next time. "You really mean it?"

"I promise." Katakuri replied.

The ahoge boy laughed a bit as he scratched his head as he tried to control the giddiness of being along with the giant the next time. Katakuri shook his head as he fight back a small smirk of seeing the boy happy. It's honestly a bit reassuring that Makoto is the first person in this world who won't hesitate of joining him.

"And besides, it looks like a few of your classmates will be joining alongside with you." Katakuri added as he looked past the boy. Makoto looked behind him and saw Asahina with the **Ultimate Martial Artist** Sakura beside her with her arms folded. "Hey Naegi, what do you say we should start a group together?" The bubbly swimmer's smile formed on her face as she beamed at him.

The luckster let out a relieved sigh as he smiled. "Thank you so much, I'm used to being the last guy to be picked. I was afraid that I'll end up with a group like Byakuya, Mondo or something." he whispered the last part which earned a teasing smirk from the swimmer.

"Heh, since you insisted, would you want me to invite them?" she suggested as put her hands on her hips.

"Really..." he shuddered causing her to giggle.

"Ha, I'm just teasing you. Would you mind to have Sakura to tag along with you?" she suggested as she nodded at the muscular girl.

Makoto rubbed his chin with a small smile. "Well, I can't think of anyone else that would protect us. Sure, why not."

Asahina smiled widely after the luckster agreed to having her friend along. "You hear that, Sakura? Aren't you happy that you're included in this group?" the bubbly swimmer smiled at Sakura, with the martial artist nodded in agreement.

"Plus, she's more friendly than your...friend..." Asahina whispered as she leaned closer to Makoto talking about a certain...crimsonhead.

Naegi laughed nervously as he scratched his head slightly. "He may look scary and gnarly, but once you get to know him, he's actually a pretty good guy."

"But he's even more scary when he's not at his original height, Naegi! How come you're not frightened like all of us ever since he showed up like a slime monster?" The swimmer asked as she made a few gestures on how Katakuri appeared from the scarf.

"Trust me, Asahina. He was terrifying when I first saw him in the hallway ever since I woke up in a classroom, but after talking with him for a bit, he's actually a pretty decent guy. Well...if you look past his look." Makoto replied as he scratched his cheek with a finger.

Asahina's eyes widened after hearing that Naegi had met Katakuri way before they met him. He met that giant before...in his original height?! The shook swimmer couldn't help but tremble a bit if she was in Naegi's shoes if she was the first to meet Katakuri at his titanic height.

"W-wait, you met him before us? How did it felt when-"

"You know, you do realize I'm here too?"

The two were snapped out of their 'subtle' conversation as they turned and saw the looming Katakuri standing with his arms folded and a raised eyebrow. The ahoge luckster laughed a bit after Katakuri startled them while Asahina sweated a bit.

"H-heh, sorry about that mister. I didn't mean it like that." Asahina apologized as she smiled shakily at the giant.

Katakuri closed his eyes. "I know you weren't, it's no big deal. I've been called worse, believe me. And besides, having your friend who have tons of combat experience will be more comfortable than having a gigantic man whose natural look would make you faint." The giant mused slightly, earning a nervous chuckle from Makoto and Asahina, with Sakura shaking her head slightly.

"Well, it's very nice to meet you Mr. Katakuri, I do hope we can get along pretty well and I'm happy that you made a friend out of Naegi." The swimmer greeted as she gestured a welcoming handshake to the giant.

Katakuri looked at the gesture and lifted his right hand and shook Asahina's. "Likewise, Asahina." The swimmer almost gasp in shock at the size difference between their hands. Her hand felt so tiny, she couldn't even see her hand in Katakuri's gigantic one. After a few seconds, Asahina laughed a bit after the shake with Makoto chuckling at bit.

The luckster smiled warmly as he watched the friendly interaction between Asahina and Katakuri. He inwardly hoped that the giant would be open to everyone here and for the students to greet Katakuri warmly. Yet, he shouldn't hope too much since he know that most of them are wary of him, especially to the likes of Byakuya, Maki, Kyoko, Tenko, and the rest like them. It'll be problematic for trust to gain sure, but he hoped that everyone will get along with his gigantic friend well to spare any mistrustful arguments or suspicions down the line.

"So what do you say we find more people to join our little gang?" Asahina asked bubbly as she pumped her fists in excitement.

Makoto smiled and nodded his head. "Yeah sure, let's go find-"

"Oh no you don't! Just where in the hell do you think ya' prancin' off to?!" A gruff voice demanded, cutting off Makoto.

"That's pretty hypocritical for you to walk off after all the shit you said earlier." Another irritated voice growled.

Everybody turned their attention as to what is going on. All eyes were glued to a scene where the two gang leaders Mondo Owada and Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu glaring at the affluent heir, Byakuya Togami. The bespectacled blonde looked down at the floor with an bored expression, completely unfazed by the two fearsome leaders.

"Hmph, out of my way insects." The unimpressed Togami said as he looked up at the two angered boys with the same unfazed expression on his face. Seeing the heating confrontation was making Makoto shift uncomfortably as he stared at the staredown between the three powerful leaders.

"The fuck was that supposed to mean?! Are you askin' for me to beat the shit outta ya'?!" Mondo snarled as he leaned more into the heir's face to intimidate him.

The arrogant heir snorted. "I know both of your reputations. I know you both are leaders of the infamous Crazy Diamonds and Kuzuryu Clan and have contain some influence in this country. But compared to me, you two are nothing more than plankton drifting in the sea, a worthless bottom feeder." Then Togami pulled a facial expression that everybody in the entire world despise when it came from a prideful, wealthy, and influential figure:

A smug smirk.

"Then again...if that giant's notion of his family being amongst the four most powerful and influential organizations was true..then you two might as well be nonexistent. Roughly translating to stupidity for your tiny brains to understand: you two are nothing but a pointy haired, rage-filled ape and a foulmouthed, whiny baby." Byakuya remarked smugly as he stared down at the two fearsome leaders, who's eyes widened after hearing the insult.

Mondo's face began to turn volcanic red as he saw red. The biker's teeth gritted against each other so hard that it looked like they're about to crack from the fury he's feeling. Fuyuhiko looked like he's about to burst a vein from the amount of rage from this pompous dickhead.

"Ohh...you just dug your grave, you fucking dick!" Mondo growled as he began to crack his knuckles as he's about ready to knock Togami's lights out.

"You got a set of balls to walk up to someone like you, you arrogant, pompous prick. It's too bad that I would have to yank them off and shove 'em down your throat, dickhead!" Fuyuhiko snarled murderously.

Everyone watched the escalating confrontation with most of them watching in shock, few shaking their heads at their immaturity, and two or three of them making tiny, amused, mischievous smiles at the scene. The one that was getting shook the most from the debacle was Makoto.

Katakuri watched the heated debacle with only a neutral expression. On the inside, he was getting a little tired of how easily these kids would be at each other's throats by a simple insult. It honestly felt a little trivial for him to be the neutralizer to every situation if the students weren't capable of handling it themselves without playing suspect toward one another. As he was about to once again walk over there to dissolve the situation, his **Future Sight** kicked in instinctively as he watched the end result of the incident. He looked down to the fidgeting boy, already knew of what he's about to do and from the way the incident would end, he had no choice but to step in unless Naegi gets injured.

"Makoto. Don't even think about." The luckster looked up and saw the giant looking at him with an expectant look. Judging by the manner Katakuri said those words and his expression, Makoto could only think of one answer on how Katakuri knows of what's about to happen.

"But Katakuri-san, I can't just stand here and let things get intense and it'll end up with someone in trouble for their recklessness." Makoto replied nervously as he turned back to the argument.

"Don't do anything brash that'll get you hurt. The last thing I want is for someone to end up being on the receiving end of this squabble. Judging by how those two are an inch away from going physical to Togami, the last thing they want to hear was someone telling them to calm down." Katakuri stated seriously, doing his best to convince Makoto of not getting involved.

"I don't know if I don't try, Katakuri-san. We shouldn't be fighting amongst ourselves already, and we hadn't even began our search through the academy." Makoto rebutted with a slightly raised tone.

"Let them resolve this on their own. I don't want you to be the unlucky one of being the outlet for the two to unleash their fury on. No, in fact, let me dissolve the situation so we can move on." Katakuri said. As he was about to walk over to the confrontation, Makoto outstretched his arm across Katakuri's legs. The action caught the giant a bit off-guard as he didn't expect the boy to stop him from ceasing the squabble.

"I'm sorry Katakuri-san, but let me be able to do something about it." Makoto said as he still remained his eyes on the debacle.

"Makoto, let me to handle this. They need someone with a domineering attitude to kill the confrontation. If you don't want me to handle it, let the others who are physically capable of holding the two back, such as Ogami or Nidai. Or maybe allow someone with a great use of words and a cool attitude to dissolve their tempers, like Kirigiri or Maki. The only thing you would ever do will be angering them even more." Katakuri stated, listing off the facts that the other capable students should handle the situation.

While Makoto know that what Katakuri said was true and that the students he listed off were plenty of capable of handling this, he couldn't shake the urge of him being the initiative besides Katakuri to resolve the conflict. It also increased the urge by the thought that later down the line, if every situation rise against them, whether it be from Monokuma or themselves, they have to rely to Katakuri to resolve them.

That reason was enough for Makoto to stand his ground.

"That's true, yes. They are more capable than me for handling this situation. You could handle anything thrown your way better than all of us combined times ten. Call it cliche or something, but I can't just stand here and watch as we be at each other's throats. That'll do nothing but give that demented bear what he wants." Makoto replied with a slightly desperate tone in his voice.

"Makoto-"

"No! I'm sorry Katakuri-san, but I can't always let you solve everything by yourself knowing you have your own goals and priorities to take care of, such as going back to where you came from. Besides, we're friends aren't we? Friends are suppose to help each other and be there once the going gets tough." The lucky boy finished.

His rebuttal caught Katakuri by complete surprise. The giant couldn't counter against Makoto's words as he could do or say nothing but watch the ahoge boy run towards the confrontation to try to resolve it. Inwardly, Katakuri was having a little dilemma. On one hand, he was annoyed that Makoto acted so stubborn and obstinate despite knowing the situation was way too much for him to handle on his own without help. But on the other, he was genuinely surprised to hear that Makoto called him a friend. The notion made the giant did a re-run of the events he went through.

First, he landed in an unknown place with no recollection of why and how he came here besides having a very vague memory of him fighting against someone he highly respected and received grave injuries, if the phantom pain on his left side was any indication. Second, he met the boy with wariness, demanding to know who he was, what he was, the basics. He then realized what kind of person Makoto was and became a little softer towards him and they sat down and the luckster talked about his memories before he ended in the same circumstance like him.

Third, in a bizarre twist, he came a little jokey when he wanted Makoto to play along with a scare tactic for him to introduce him to the rest of the students to scare them out of their wits. And in turn, he and Makoto had a blast. Fourth, he went back to his no-nonsense demeanor once the rejected Care Bear announced a killing game where the two options of leaving this prison either be killing one another without getting caught or live until the end of your days.

He was expectant of everyone else to be wary, afraid, and suspicious of him because of his monstrous appearance and otherworldly power, except for Akane and Himiko, and in the coming-up Asahina. While he was cool around Makoto as an acquaintance, he didn't expect the luckster to outright call him a friend despite meeting him for a few hours. Anyone else with common sense would stay away from him, but Makoto welcomed him and called him a friend. Sure, when he gets livid, the boy gets terrified, but still saw him with a positive outlook.

And lastly, despite Makoto knowing the situation was too much for him for a person of his plain appearance, he was still willing to step in and try to dissolve the escalating squabble even though his anxious and nervous body language said otherwise. The giant couldn't help but grow a little level of respect for Makoto and his willingness to do something that anyone else who scoff at the notion of someone as boring as Makoto doing something that's far out of his range.

Yet again, his will reminded him of the raven haired boy he fought in the surreal world of mirrors.

"Makoto..." Katakuri breathed out as he watched the boy running towards the trio of powerful leaders.

Before Mondo and Fuyuhiko were about to reach out and grab the unfazed Togami, Makoto ran up and stepped in between them with his arms outstretched.

"Guys come on, we shouldn't fight among ourselves! Arguing against each other would do us no good!" Makoto cried out as everyone gained more attention as they watched someone stepping in try to stop the situation before it turned ugly.

The luckster's words didn't set well with the trio, as Byakuya gazed at him with the same impassive yet mildly annoyed look as Mondo and Fuyuhiko turned their rage filled visages at Makoto, who flinched from the level of heat coming from the leaders.

"What's that? Are you gonna be a goody-goody bitch and try to tell me what to do?" Mondo snarled as he glared daggers at the poor Naegi.

"Look, bastard...I'm already fucking pissed at this pampered prick's attempt of standing towards me, I certainly don't want another one coming up to my face, especially if it's someone like that red eyed tight asshole over there." Fuyuhiko growled as he indirectly insulted Ishimaru, which earned a look of irritation from the hall monitor. "So, it'll be your wisest move and stay the fuck out of our way..." The gangster finished as he hissed at Makoto.

While Makoto's fight-or-flight response was kicking at flight mode in panic mode, his mind screamed back at him to stand his ground against the furious leaders. "I-I'm sorry, but this fight would lead us nowhere. What good would it serve if you attack Togami?" The luckster asked, not knowing he just dug his own grave even deeper.

"What the fuck did you say, bitch?" Mondo growled as he towered over the boy, who took a step back to avoid being at the biker's face. The rage that was targeting Togami was now shifted as the biker and yakuza's fury turned over to Makoto, disregarding the heir completely.

"Who the fuck do you think you are, my dad?" Fuyuhiko added menacingly as he stepped towards Makoto, who took another step back from the gangster.

"Come on, lay off the little guy. He's just trying to help ya." Kaito said as he tried to ease the rising tension as the other students were now taking a little action since the two fearsome leaders were now targeting towards an innocent who wanted nothing more but to stop the fighting.

"It's no use, Kaito. They're too enraged to hear any rationality." Maki cut in as she gazed at the two in slight disgust.

"But that's just most boys, degenerates." Tenko growled as she stared at Mondo and Fuyuhiko in complete disgust.

Hagakure ignored the girl's comment as he rubbed the back of his nervously. "C-calm down, guys...let's stop before this gets out of hand."

But unfortunately, none of the students' words of attempting to simmer the situation did nothing but fell on deaf ears as Mondo and Fuyuhiko now found a new person to let out their fury upon.

"Lemme teach you something, you little shitstain. Nobody tells me what the fuck I can and cannot do!" Mondo roared as he reeled his right arm, shocking the crowd and frightening Makoto even more.

The only person who wasn't taken back at all stood and as the very split second he saw the biker readying to attack Makoto, his eyebrows furrowed and his eyes intensified as he didn't even need to see the future of what's about to happen.

"N-no, that's not what I'm saying at all-" Makoto's pleading was cut off as he saw Mondo cocking his fist back, without taking any second thoughts of what's going to happen. The poor boy's mind raced wildly at how his attempt of dissolving the confrontation would end up with him lying on the floor with his lights out. He began to almost regret of him not allowing some of the more mature students to handle the situation but most of all, he should've let Katakuri to come in and squash the debacle.

Even though a tiny part of him wants to take the hit for him to handle the situation without the giant's help, the large majority of him grossly overtook him as he can do was stand there and kept the frightened deer in the headlights look as he saw the biker was ready to unleash his powerful punch.

"SHUT UP!" Mondo screamed as his fist began to fly at Makoto's frightened face. Everyone watched in shock as they saw the enraged biker throwing his fist at the terrified lucky boy.

*SMACK*

Mondo was hoping that his fist would break the punk's nose, teaching him a lesson on trying to tell him what to do. To hear the sweet sound of pointed bones to break the fleshy nose of Makoto, to scramble his brain, to knock his lights out. What he didn't expect was his fist to be stopped just before it was millimeters away from even making brushing contact with the frightened Makoto's nose. What he really didn't expect was for someone to grab a hold on his fist, stopping it dead in its path.

But especially...

...

...

Charlotte Katakuri to be the one to stop him from punching Makoto.

Naegi stared with his jaw dropped as he felt his body would give out from the thought if Katakuri hadn't intervened, he would've been the first student to been going to sleep. The frightened luckster shakily looked at the fist that was almost touching his nose and let out a breath he never realized before and looked up at his crimsonhead friend, who was standing tall with his massive arm taking an iron tight hold on Owada's wrist.

Every student in the gym even the ones like Kyoko and Celeste gasped at the inhuman speed the giant displayed. No one had noticed that the giant even moved, it's like before Mondo was about to hit Makoto, he moved faster than the blink of an eye before the fist was about to make contact. Even the fighters trembled from the monstrous speed Katakuri showed when he grabbed the biker's wrist. Each one of them gave their opinions on the sight.

 _'What an incredible speed! Not even I could even move that fast...'_ A certain martial artist gasped in shock as she stared at the giant.

 _'How could someone as big as him could move at such a speed that even someone like me couldn't go at?'_ A silver haired swordswoman thought as her hands were shaking slightly from the display.

 _'W-what in the actual fuck?! How could he move so fast without even taking a breath?! What in the hell is this guy?!'_ A chestnut gymnast gaped.

 _'Unbelievable...this guy...his movement...from his height...I couldn't move that fast...'_ An enormous coach said as his eyes widened in thunderstruck shock.

 _'T-t-t-there's absolutely no way...someone like him could move that fast...he really is dangerous.'_ An Aikido master gasped as her face turned blue from the frightening display of power and speed.

 _'His speed surpassed that of a bullet...it's almost as if he moved at the blink of an eye...'_ A red eyed caregiver said as her eyes couldn't believe what they saw.

 _'My tracking failed to even notice that he moved. Even at my maximum setting, I could not move near at that speed.'_ A robotic boy said as his readings failed to keep up with the giant.

 _'N-no...how in the world could he move at such speeds that even years of training I won't be even nearly at that level...'_ A disguised girl whispered as her mind was struck by the fearful display from Katakuri.

Mondo's blind rage that at first targeted the arrogant Togami, then to the fearful and innocent Naegi, and it foolishly led him to turn his attention to the person who dared to grab his wrist from stopping him from meeting Makoto's unsuspecting face. The biker's wrathful eyes smothered instantly and in replacement, stone cold fear and horror when his fearful eyes met at the crimsonhead giant's, whose eyes were somehow shadowed.

Mondo's wrist began to feel insurmountable pain when Katakuri's massive hand grabbed hold of it. The biker's face grimace in pain when he felt the giant's hand slowly applying pressure to his wrist. In all of his life, Mondo never felt such unimaginable pain, at times he punched walls in fits of rage and his knuckles bled and ached for a few days before they healed completely. His fist never felt such pain ever since...until today.

The pompadour biker's face turned into one filled with fear as he almost wished he never met eyes at Katakuri. The giant remained silent as he loomed over Mondo's small body. From Owada's perspective, he felt like an ant when he's underneath the giant's mercy. At the back of his mind, the biker silently thanked that Katakuri wasn't in his original height, because if he was...he almost cried imagining it.

Katakuri's forehead pulsed and the squelching sound almost made everyone take a step back. Then as if it one's watching a horror movie, Katakuri's eyes glowered and met Mondo's frightened ones. Crimson pools and arched eyebrows pierced into tiny, pinprick, and fearful purple ones, as if Katakuri was staring right in Mondo's very soul. The biker felt his spine quivering under the choking pressure the menacing giant's eyes are giving out.

" **Just what do you think you're doing, Mondo Owada?"** The menace growled as his eyes are chilling Mondo and everyone to the very bone. The poor biker couldn't form words as he's too afraid that if he answers wrong, it'll anger Katakuri even more.

"..." Whatever words that were trying to form from the frightened Owada were choked by his primal fear of Katakuri.

 **"I know what you were doing."** Katakuri pulled Mondo closer and began to apply more pressure on the boy's hand and wrist.

 **"You** **two had lost** **your minds from taking in arrogant boy's insults. Instead of you and the hot-tempered yakuza acting like adults and shrug off the pathetic insults, or rather leaving him alone entirely...you chose to threaten him and was about to get physical to get intimidation from the brat. And Makoto's attempt of trying to dissolve the confrontation only angered you more and in a fit of fury** **, you decide to shift your blind rage at him and was about to seriously injure someone who never wanted a fight from the first place."** The giant explained as he enunciated every crucial part of the incident as he applied even more pressure after saying his piece which earned another pained cry from the biker.

 **"Am I wrong for stopping you from making a fatal mistake?"** Katakuri asked as he continued to gaze into the frightened eyes of Owada, who felt like he's trapped under the predatory and murderous gaze of the giant. Like before, the biker foolishly chose to remain silent in fear that his excuse would set the giant off.

His silence did not please the livid giant. **"Well, give me your answer..."** Katakuri's hand squeezed even harder on Mondo's wrist and the biker let out a pained yelp as his wrist feel like breaking-no. His wrist feels like the giant is about to snap it, not in like broken bones snap...like almost _dismembered_. Mondo's eyes began to form tears from the amount of the white-hot searing pain he's feeling. His feeble and pathetic attempt of freeing his wrist was met with the same vice grip from Katakuri's hand.

After a while of trying to form words under the pain that was rushing in his head, the biker finally let out his answer. "N-n-n...n-n-no, y-y-you're not w-w-wrong, s-s-sir..." Mondo stuttered fearfully.

Without leaving the biker in his sight, Katakuri called to Fuyuhiko who stood with his mouth agape and his face running with sweat as he watched in shock and terror. **"Am I, Mr. Kuzuryu?"** the giant growled lowly at the frightened gangster.

"N-no, y-you're right to stop us from doing s-something s-st-stupid..." Fuyuhiko answered breathlessly as he felt terror even without the monster turning his attention to him.

 **"Now then, let me make myself perfectly clear Mr. Owada..."** Then in another frightening display of strength, Katakuri lifted Mondo off the floor and raised the terrified biker to meet his eyes at his height level. Everyone in the gym became more frightened as they couldn't comprehend of how easily the giant lifted up a tall figure such as Mondo Owada with such ease.

The poor biker's feet dangled in the air which signifying how menacing and nightmarish Katakuri's strength is, and with the giant standing around 8 ft, Mondo and everyone else silently thanked that Katakuri shrunk down because if he was at his titanic 16'8 height...what's else is there to say?

 **"You should count yourself lucky that I could see the future because if you would've landed a punch on Naegi...you won't even have that arm when I grabbed a hold on you. Consider this a promise...not a warning, a promise."** Katakuri stated grimly as he inched Mondo's shell-shocked and terrified beyond belief face closer to his, forcing the boy to stare in his glowing, piercing crimson daggers.

 **"If you ever go in a fit of idiotic rage and unleash it on an innocent bystander, but most importantly, if you _ever_ threaten Makoto like that for no reason ever again..." **Katakuri applied more pressure onto the wrist which earned another cry of pain from Owada.

 **"I won't hesitate of ripping your arm from your body, and I will silently watch when you bleed to death knowing that you have nothing and no one to blame but your own short temper. Now do all of us a favor and calm yourself and stop getting so riled up over the smallest of things. Do I make myself perfectly clear?"** The menace promised as he pulled the biker closer to the point from their foreheads touching each other.

Mondo's soul felt so cold. From the first time Katakuri appeared, he felt so insignificant, so tiny, so weak. The giant already proven that he's the most badass, strongest, fastest, and meanest person than everyone in his biker gang combined a hundredfold. To his utter shame, the biker is so frightened, his bladder threaten to leak out and further making a complete fool of himself in utter humiliation. It took all of whatever shattered remains of Owada's pride and will to stop himself from pissing himself in shame and fear.

"C-C-C-C-Cry...s-s-stal..." The biker shuddered fearfully.

 **"That goes to you too, Kuzuryu. Do I need to repeat myself to you?"** Katakuri asked as he still focused his attention on Mondo. The gangster swallowed a large lump of saliva as he cleared his throat to give the giant his best answer.

"N-n-no, t-t-t-thank you...I-I got the message..." Fuyuhiko's face turned an even darker shade of blue from the cold, underlying fury Katakuri's words contained. Meanwhile in the crowd, Peko wanted to run in and help her master from the glowering monster, but her mind wisely screamed at her body to not pull such an idiotic move if she don't want to threaten her master's well-being. The swordswoman's body trembled from the thought of her being in Katakuri's gaze.

 **"Makoto, are you alright?"** Katakuri asked, taking a glance at the frightened ahoge boy with an extremely subtle soft look.

Snapping from his stupefied trance, Makoto craned up at Katakuri and gave him a shaky nod, still hadn't recovered from the fact that he was a nanosecond away from being in a dark filled world of pain and hurt.

 **"Good, but take better care of yourself. I know you meant well, but sometimes you got to let people resolve their situation on their own without interference. Be careful next time, Makoto."** Katakuri said in a very _very_ slightly softer tone that only the luckster can catch.

Finally, Makoto gave Katakuri a verbal response. "Y-y-yeah, n-no problem Katakuri-san...and thank you."

The giant let out an affirmative hmph as he turned back to the terrified biker and intensified his glare at him. **"Now, do the most reasonable thing and apologize to Makoto for almost hitting him and you both apologize to the students for making a scene. And make the apologies sincere."** Katakuri dropped the biker and Mondo stumbled for a bit to gain footing. The pompadour boy looked down at his wrist and almost cried out as he saw the dark purple bruise from Katakuri's grip. The wrist throbbed grossly as he tried to comfort it a bit by rubbing it softly to sooth it a bit.

 **"You'll live. You're lucky that I'm merciful enough to let you keep your entire forearm."** The crimsonhead menace boomed snapping Mondo out of his tending to his wrist. Mondo coughed to clear his throat as he finally turned away from the giant to Makoto.

"H-h-hey man, I didn't mean to try to hit you...I'm sorry for almost knocking you out." Mondo apologized as he continued to rub his wrist.

The ahoge luckster rubbed the back of his head as he tried to play off what had happened smoothly. "S-sure, it's no problem Owada. I'm not gonna hold it against you. It's all from nerves, right?" he said with a slight reassuring tone.

The baby faced gangster walked beside Mondo with the same shame filled expression on his face as he shoved his hands in his pockets. "Yeah, I didn't mean to lose my fucking cool as well. *sighs* I'm sorry for getting all in your face like a dumbass..." Fuyuhiko apologized as he grumbled the last part out.

Naegi chuckled nervously. "H-heh, it's no big deal Kuzuryu-"

"But...don't get it twisted that from here on out, we're not gonna be buddy buddy. It's just it's about time...I should start acting calm instead of being pissy at anything and everything..." The gangster cut off as he still try to play tough, but the slight embarrassed blush on his face conflicts his words.

The lucky boy nodded after his words and continues to roll off the confrontation with a shaky yet soft chuckle. Katakuri watched the scene as he hummed to himself in satisfaction of the maturity coming from the two hotheaded students. Inwardly, the giant thanked that he can still see the future despite his weakened state, but he still reminded himself to lay off his abilities for a while until he have time to replenish his strength. Hopefully a good night's sleep will do the trick after he's finish with his venture in the building.

The hot-tempered duo then turned to the student crowd who watched the entire thing with the same expressions from earlier, but their faces calmed down after they heard Mondo and Fuyuhiko's apologies to Makoto for taking their frustrations from Byakuya's arrogant insults on him. The biker was the first to speak as he straightened himself to pick up whatever remains of his dignity he had, _if_ he had any.

"So, guys...I just wanna say...what just happened earlier was not manly at all. In fact, it was goddamn embarrassing. My bad everyone...for setting you guys off again from our shitshow..." Owada called out to everyone with a slightly softer tone of his normally gruff voice.

Fuyuhiko, who was looking at the floor in embarrassment from looking at the critical eyes of the students rose his head to look at them in the eyes. "Exactly...what we did was childish and we should've played it out like grown-ups...I apologize for making a scene."

Everyone's faces turned softer as they took in the words from the two. Although a few of them were still thinking to themselves that to what they said was out of sincerity and not of because the crimsonhead giant chewed them out. But they heard the honesty in their words and the students gave them words of reassurances from "It's no big deal" and "Just don't go crazy like that again" and the sorts like that.

Byakuya, who watched the entire thing, could only pushed his glasses to his face and played it coy but deep down, he's glad that he wasn't in Katakuri's line of sight, because even someone like him had to accept the fact that when Katakuri is angry or furious at something or someone...may God give you strength when you're in the gaze of the crimsonhead giant.

Unfortunately, he jinxed himself when the giant turned his attention to him and if one could see, the affluent heir jumped slightly when he was in Katakuri's line of sight.

"And you, Togami. If you hadn't open your mouth and said such inane words, none of this would've happened. Don't think you're off the hook if I wasn't able to catch Owada's attack in time and Makoto would've been seriously injured." Katakuri stated evenly, making Togami doing his best to steady is rapid heartbeat from gazing in the serious eyes of the crimsonhead.

If Byakuya was any more foolish, he would've rebutted back at the giant but since he proved that he can easily rip him apart and told him he would've been in the same spot Mondo was in, all he could do was fixed his glasses and let out a quiet huff to swallow his pride.

Seeing the heir knocked down a peg brought small smirks on Mondo and Fuyuhiko's faces. Not only them but almost half of every student had to let out a small smile of seeing an arrogant person such as Byakuya been called out and could do nothing but take it silently.

Katakuri looked at the hothead duo and called them to get their attention. "You two should best keep your tempers under control. Always answering every question, obstacle, or situation with fists and slurs would serve nothing but put you on a spiral that'll lead to your destruction." The giant said, earning a small knowledgeable looks on their faces after hearing the giant's words.

"Mondo, I recommend you go to Mikan, who I believe she is a nurse. Ask her to help you tend to your wound. Once again, let that be a lesson to you...stop letting your rage control you." Katakuri added as he jabbed a thumb at the timid nurse's location, who let out an 'eep' from hearing her name.

"Yeah...I got it man." Mondo replied with a relaxed tone, still tending to his bruising hand and wrist.

"Now, if there are anything else, I leave the remainder of the group and captain picking to the rest of you. If you feel like you're finished gathering what you need, like the other Togami had said, meet up at a few places that'll hold up everyone or if at best, head back to this gym and exchange info to the others." Katakuri announced, earning nods from the students.

"Alright, now that's taken care of. If something happens, meet up back here or message the other group through your devices and go from there. I'll be taking my leave now."

After finishing giving out instructions, Katakuri walked away with his spur boots resonating in the gym. Each rattle of his spurs and clacking of his boots made the students even more imposed as they watched the towering giant walked to the gym doors. Katakuri pushed the gym's door open and lowered his head to get through the exit and rose it back when he entered the hall. The echoing of his boots continued to resonate in the students' ears until the gym door finally closed, leaving the students to continue with their group and leader selections...

Including finally letting them have the freedom to speak their thoughts of Makoto Naegi's tall, strange, powerful, and frightening new friend.

 _End of chapter_

* * *

 _ **AAAAAAAND THAT'S END OF CHAPTER! I'm so happy how this chapter turned out. I'm glad that it's longer and how the plot finally begins to get started. Do you like it, hate it, so-so? Please review to give our your opinion on it.**_

 _ **AND NOW FOR THE REVIEWS!**_

 **GR: Yes, he can destroy everything in the building but like I said, I'm making Katakuri to be weakened to make the story more comprehensible and grounded. Even without being at full strength, Katakuri is still the most powerful person in the Danganronpa world, and having that OP character in a regular world such as Danganronpa will be ridiculous beyond imagination. I'm doing what I can to make the story exciting and engaging.**

 **And yes, he can destroy Monokuma and kill the Mastermind if he so wants to, but remember: he's still weakened after his fight against Luffy and I'm making use of his injuries especially his self-inflicted impalement wound to hinder his Haki, Devil Fruit, and overall strength usage. So far, the best he can do is to morph his body and use Observation, but he can't use it like it's second nature because like I said, he's still weak and he can't use his other DF and Haki abilities.**

 **While he didn't made any bonds from most of the students, he can't disregard these students lives because that'll defeat the purpose of the main theme of this story: for him to make connections with the students and for the students to understand Katakuri. Family is not defined by blood.**

 **If it were some kind of omake or a different story, it'll work. But for now, Katakuri is nerfed, but he's still the strongest out of the combatant students. He'll use his room or gym to practice his skill so he can rebuild his strength back, work in progress.**

 **Guest 1: Don't worry. While it's inspired by the authors I mentioned in the previous chapters that inspired this one, I won't make my way of looking over their stories and change the names or make it slightly familiar to the stories because that is imitation. This story is 100% original.**

 **ZGMF-X13A Providence: Thanks, the last chapter was almost like fanservice to see someone standing up to Monokuma without the slightest bit of fearing of execution. Plus, it'll be even sweeter for the students to gain bonds to our crimsonhead Mochi-Man and for him to make bonds to the students, though some like Byakuya, Celestia, Maki, Kyoko, Tenko, and the others like them will be among the more difficult ones to relate, yet alone bond (Especially Hiyoko and Mahiru, ugh. Seriously, those two needed to be called out.)**

 **And some students will get stronger down the line, either physically or mentally, maybe both. But you just have to find out and see!**

 **JacksAndPacks: Thanks, and don't worry, you will get more quality and great chapters!**

 **wessst1: Thank you sooo much for reading and liking this story! Yes, Katakuri is a man of honor and respect and having him as the MC will definitely spark something in the students!**

 **Beta-readers**

 **King Carlos  
Shadow of Life  
Brainstorming buddy: ZGMF-X13A Providence**

* * *

 _ **PS: Hey guys and gals...I'm afraid I have some terrible news.**_

 _ **This month, my nephew was left in neglect by an incompetent nurse and he ran out of oxygen and because of that...he had 80% permanent brain damage, leaving him a vegetable. He was put in a hospice where the next morning...he passed away in his sleep on the 17th of February, he was only one. I cannot describe the amount of pain my family and I are going through right now, but my sister was hit the hardest of all. If it weren't for that nurse...he would still be here, alive and well. Yet, I'm thankful that I didn't saw him while he was in that state because if I would've saw him, unresponsive and zombie-like...I can't even say anything else, my heart would've been torn to pieces.**_

 _ **But dwelling on that nurse would only hurt and if worse...think some...very dark thoughts of actions to do to her if I see her face. Thankfully, my family are going to sue the hospital for their carelessness and God have mercy on the nurse's and their souls and the strength to forgive. In all honesty, I'm glad and happy that my precious, chubby cheeked nephew is up there playing and laughing with the angels as a normal healthy baby, no longer have to worry about having tubes stuck in his body or the hideous one that was lodged on his trachea. My only regret is that my family and I never had the chance to see him out of that hospital as a normal baby or hear him say his first word. Heck, while I was drawing his face as a tribute, I couldn't last a second without breaking down...like...it hurts you know.**_

 _ **Losing a parent is one thing...but losing a child, Good God.**_

 _ **So...it's with a heavy heart that I have to go on a bit of a break. It won't be too long because that'll be sulking and sulking is very different from grieving. I hope you lovely readers enjoyed this chapter and thank you so much for your patience. I really needed to get this out there so I could replenish my drained spirit.**_

 _ **And I wanted to tell you all this for you to learn something: Please make as much lovely time with your family as best as you can, because we never know when will we leave this world. Everyone had to experience loss someday, but...life always know how to sucker punch you and slam you to a brick wall as a very harsh reality check, am I right?**_

 _ **So, yeah. I'm going to be on break to recollect myself and to let go of my nephew because we all know he's ecstatic up there and he loved every single time we spent together when he was living. He's not gone...just moved to a much better place, where one day we will play and have fun in eternal peace and joy.**_

 _ **I hope you guys can understand and be able to have more patience for when I will update this story. BY NO MEANS, I'm dropping this story, no matter what! I just need to have the strive and will to move pass this heart-wrenching pain and keep the happy memories and videos my family and I got of him.**_

 _ **REST IN PEACE, NEPHEW. I'M SO HAPPY FOR YOU AND UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN. I LOVE YOU SO MUCH AND I'LL MISS YOU.**_

 _ **(9/18/2017-2/17/2019)**_


	10. Chapter 9: Taking it in pt 2

**Chapter 9: Taking it in pt. 2**

"Hi, how was your day?"-dialogue

 _'Terrible, yourself?'-_ thoughts/flashback

*crack*-onomatopoeia

 **Ultimate Biologist-** title

 _ **"You have no future"-**_ Katakuri's Future/Monokuma

* * *

 _ **AN: Wassup, wassup, WASSUP?! THIS IS YOUR BOI GOKU D. UZUMAKI HERE WITH A BRAND NEW CHAPTER FOR YOU LOVELY LADIES AND GENTS OUT THERE WHO HAD BEEN WAITING FOR AN UPDATE SINCE LAST MONTH! I cannot thank you guys once again for your immense patience for the new chapter. Last time we went off, our MC Katakuri settled the scuffle between the hotheaded Mondo and Fuyuhiko and the dickhead known as Byakuya Togami, without leaving a promise to our pompadour biker if he threw a rage blinded rampage like he did and almost injured poor egg boy Makoto in his rage. Then the giant left the gym to go on to venture the academy to get a bearing of his surroundings while leaving the students the freedom to verbally speak their opinions on Makoto's mochi friend. Will they love him, hate him, fear him, admire him, who knows...you just have to read to find out more!**_

 _ **Furthermore, on a serious note, thank you guys so much for the support last month. I know all of you know the painful experience of losing someone you love very much and for them to leave without expecting it, knowing that'll be the last time to see, hear, and touch them physically. But the best we can do is press on, keep the happy memories, and keep living until the day we meet again in eternal peace.**_

 _ **But moving on past the sadness, I wanna thank you all so much for the views. Let's see here...12,000 views?! That's six times my town's population! Guys and gals, I can't thank you enough for the views and almost 60 favorites and follows of this story in such a nonexistent section of the Danganronpa crossover fanfiction archives. I'm thankful for the reviews and if I miss anything that worries you a bit concerning grammar, story, characters, plot, or etc., please don't hesitate to post a review and I will consider them and apply it to improve my in-progress writing abilities. Someday, I want to make a great Shonen anime and doing fanfiction is not only fun and exciting, but also reading reviews and re-reading the story will improve my writing so I could make a cohesive story.**_

 _ **Any flames or negative rants disguised as criticism will face the wrath of Katakuri's Mole.**_

 _ **Enough prattling, let's get started. This time, we will have our adorable and lazy Ultimate Magician-**_

 **Himiko- Mage!**

 _ **GDU: Oops, Ultimate**_ **Mage _to say the disclaimer to take the stage._**

 **Himiko: Nyeh, do I have to? That's too hard...**

 _ **GDU: If you do it, I'll let you spend some time with**_ **Katakuri...**

 **Himiko: *eyes sparkle* Really? Okay then. _The following is a not-profit, fan-based fanfiction. Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, Goodbye Despair, V3: Killing Harmony, Danganronpa the Animation, Danganronpa 3: Despair, Future, Hope Arc, and Danganronpa Zero are all owned by Too Kyo Games, Spike, Funimation, and Kazutaka Kodaka. One Piece is owned by Shueisha, Funimation, Toei Animation, and Eiichiro Oda. Please support the official releases._**

 _ **GDU: Much better**_

 **Makoto: Great job, Himiko!**

 **Katakuri: I agr-**

 **Himiko: *poofs and appears next to Katakuri's leg and hugs it*~~**

 **Katakuri: *covers face to hide a very, very, _very_ faint blush***

 _ **GDU**_ **and Makoto: AWWWWW~~~**

* * *

 **Day One**

 **First Floor**

 **Gym**

 **11:43 a.m.**

"Ummm...s-so...what do you guys think of Katakuri-san?"

Nobody in the student prong heard Makoto Naegi's feeble question as they all stared at the opened gym door and watched the crimsonhead giant Katakuri walked out leaving the classes in another moment of stupefied and shocked silence after he resolved the heated fight between Mondo, Fuyuhiko, and Togami. Everyone was too stunned to form words after they saw the monstrous and godlike strength of the giant from when he picked the rough and tall Owada like he was a sack of potatoes.

The luckster winced to himself after he reheard the idiotic question that left his mouth. It's a no-brainer as to what his classmates thought of his new friend. While he and the rest of the classmates stared at the closing door and heard the giants' retreating spurs, Makoto began to recall the number of events that happened ever since he introduced Katakuri to the students that led to this:

First, he walked in wearing a scarf that was too large for even the tallest person in Japan or the world to wear without having their shoulders engulfed by the scruffiness of the neckwear. He then played it off by pretending that the scarf and hat was a keepsake from his dad and while it grabbed their attention, they were convinced by the ploy.

Second, after he introduced himself and waited for everyone else his class, his seniors and juniors to wrap up their introductions, he then took the center stage by stating that they're missing a student. After Asahina gave him the stage...literally...he told the classes that the missing student was Charlotte Katakuri and of course, he was met with confusion, tiny pity, and some jeers and scoffs. Yet he played them off and laid the clothing accessories on the stage and after a few minutes of silence after announcing Katakuri's name, it happened.

Katakuri appeared like something out of a horror movie that involved a blob as he formed into his massive, gargantuan, titanic height of 16'8, loomed over the student body, gave them the dreadful fear of being looked down by a dragon and they were literally ants to his size. Then after the students let out their reactions of seeing the monstrous menace, a series of questions were answered by the giant as the fear and terror of him turned into slight curiosity. Considered the fact that their questions didn't pry into Katakuri's business (plus the tension filled staredown between him and the foulmouthed Fuyuhiko) hadn't angered him, it went well.

Unfortunately, the good mood took a nosedive when the two idiots known as Hifumi Yamada and Yasuhiro Hagakure wanted to know why Katakuri was wearing his scarf after noticing the vertical scars on his face. Soon after, the students joined in on the tirade as the questions turned into demands and a few insults here and there and like that...they made Katakuri angry.

The poor ahoge boy shivered from the thought when the giant unleashed his deathly aura among the students while he (and a few students he didn't know) were spared from that sickening feeling. After the questioning was over, everyone began to get a little awareness of their surroundings. Then after inspecting that there were concealed weapons in the gym, Katakuri warned him to be on guard after seeing the future of what's about to happen. And that's when the nightmare began.

The demented bear known as Monokuma popped out of nowhere, caught everyone off guard by the fact that their headmaster was a two-toned bear with one side a normal face and the other with a sinister red eye and the twisted grin to compliment it. While he was eccentric and annoying, the luckster was still wary of the underlying feeling of dread when the bear continued his rambling, the feeling that someone awful was about to happen since he appeared.

Then the bombshell dropped.

Monokuma gave them a grim announcement that their time of being in this academy will be for the rest of their lives. All of them couldn't believe it, so it's obvious that denial and anger would be the first reactions the students gave out. Makoto so wanted the announcement to be some kind of cruel, sick joke, being trapped in this unknown school filled with strangers and with a sinister, maniacal, and twisted animatronic as their headmaster, the iron clad barriers cutting them off from the outside world, having nobody outside in the world aware of their predicament, not even their loved ones. As if things couldn't get any worse than being prisoners in this school til the end of their days...the already dark situation went from worse to horrifying.

The crazed bear gave them a slimmer of hope of their means of leaving the academy and being back in the outside world. Monokuma announced that the only way for them to leave this haunting nightmare was to murder a fellow classmate _without_ getting caught. Then the deranged headmaster gleefully listed off the gruesome ways for someone to get killed as he relished in the students' horrified shock. The luckster still remembered the feeling of his stomach dropped to his feet and his face ran cold when he heard those words and the inevitable fate he and the rest of the students are destined, in some kind of sick, twisted game of violence and discord.

Thankfully, the feelings of dread and terror was replaced by a slimmer of hope when Katakuri confronted Monokuma in a stare-off that would put Fuyuhiko's to shame. Both exchanging words that was forced to make the other fidget or hesitate, to see which will was stronger. Then the bear grew tired of his friend's defiance and decided to outright slaughter him without having the game to officially start by unleashing a mounted Gatling gun aimed at him to eviscerate him to minced meat on the floor. Makoto recalled of that almost numbing shocked feeling when he saw Katakuri being blitzed by the tiny yet deadly rain of bullets, how he lost his friend by the mercies of the cackling Monokuma.

But that numbing feeling quickly turned to elated relief and awe when he and the students were floored when they saw Katakuri remained standing, alive and well without a single graze on him after that viscous onslaught, but only dropping every single bullet the machine gun unleashed on him, which made the bear dumbstruck and furious.

To add even further insult to injury to Monokuma's wounded pride, Katakuri took out a single jellybean and told that this was how a bullet supposed to do damage. While it was first with incredulity and some scoffs, Makoto knew that something more jaw dropping was about to happen.

And it did.

The giant flicked the jellybean and that simple everyday candy instantly changed into a lethal blur that not only pierced through the weapon, but straight up destroyed it when it dropped to the floor in a mangled heap of scrap metal! It's quite obvious that everyone flipped in awestruck and breathtaking silence, especially Monokuma, who saw red after watching his precious execution device turned to junkyard metal in less than a split second.

Everything that Katakuri did against Monokuma sparked some encouragement among the students. They saw someone that was out of this world, with a frightening appearance and some kind of ability that was never been seen or heard of in Japan, withstood an onslaught of a machine gun like it was a cakewalk, then destroyed said gun with a candy bean like it was a hot knife cutting through butter. The feelings of relief, hope, and encouragement was sparked by the giant's actions and the first ones to rebel against the fumed Monokuma was Mondo and Fuyuhiko.

Then reality came back in.

Mondo lifted up Monokuma after being infuriated by his antics and the bear turned into a ticking time bomb and thanks to Katakuri and a few perceptive students, the biker managed to throw the bomb away before the bear exploded. As if it couldn't get worse, another Monokuma popped up and reinforced the severity of any rebellious actions towards him or the school before handing out digital notebooks in replacement for our cellphones.

After the bear disappeared, the undeniable reality of the predicament engulfed whatever shreds of hope that was sparked after Katakuri's actions and in place were the sickening emotions of hopelessness and fear. But as always, his crimsonhead friend calmed everyone down in a...uncomfortable yet effective manner and told the students to split up into groups and scavenge the academy to make best of the situation.

And unfortunately, when one good thing happens, a bad thing will push back. Byakuya Togami (the black suited one) did something that offended Owada and Kuzuryu and casually insulted them by labeling them as nonexistent plankton in compared to the Togami family's reputation. That made the two violent hotheads so livid that they were an inch of going physical to the unfazed heir. Then his friend was about to walk up and break up the escalated argument but Makoto rebutted and wanted to try to quell the tension himself despite him doing nothing but adding fuel to the fire because of his incapability of physically or verbally stopping the feuding leaders.

The luckster still couldn't shake off the feeling when Mondo was a millimeter away from breaking his nose after saying some words that made whatever restraint the two boys had towards him from his interference gone. He's extremely thankful of Katakuri stopping the rage filled biker from doing something he'll regret, but even then, he couldn't help but feel sorry for Mondo and Fuyuhiko from being the source of Katakuri's ire, even though some kind of force was needed to stop the confrontation from turning ugly. After reprimanding the two including Togami, and reminding the students to resume back to their group/captain selection, the crimsonhead took his leave to begin his search by himself.

It's pretty obvious that the ahoge luckster cringed inwardly after asking such an obnoxious question when the students finally got the chance to breathe now that the giant has left their presence, if the fading spurs were an indication of him being away from earshot.

Long story short, now that Katakuri has left the gym to begin his scavenge, the students were now finally given the chance to voice out their thoughts and opinions on Makoto's gigantic, weird, abnormal, frightening, and uber-powerful friend.

"What do I think of him?" A boy called out, everyone turning their attention to the fortuneteller Hiro, who had a thinking expression on his face. After a few seconds, Hagakure's face abruptly shifted to one full of panic.

"I think HE'S FREAKIN' TERRIFYING, MAN!" Hiro exclaimed fearfully as took a step back from the vivid imagination of his experience of craziness when Katakuri was in the gym. The terrified clairvoyant shivered from every time he was in the giant's fearsome, deathly gaze and wanted nothing more than to hightail it without looking back unless he's miles away from Katakuri.

Naegi sweated as he was kinda expected a response coming from someone as Hagakure. But what he didn't expect was that Hagakure's opinion on the crimsonhead set a chain of reactions from the rest of the students to voice out their take on Katakuri.

"I-I-I swear I thought I was gonna die...he's a literal titan...y-you're v-v-very brave!" Yamada shrieked out as he was still in a state of panic and terror from being in the eyesight of Katakuri's death glare. The poor fanfic writer was mustering his very being not to leak out and wet himself from the shivering of his soul from the experience.

"B-brave is an understatement, man. How in the hell could you withstand being beside him like he's your best buddy?" Leon asked incredulously as he's also was shocked as to how a nervous boy such as Makoto not been afraid with the giant around.

"Just what kind of being is he, what person would be capable of performing such abnormal and superhuman strength and speed? I couldn't even move that fast without wearing myself out." Sakura added as deep down, she inwardly let out a held breath after witnessing Katakuri's almost godlike feats of power and speed.

"Yeah, I mean, did y'all even saw him moved when he grabbed that hothead's wrist? It was like he moved in the blink of an eye!" Akane exclaimed excitedly as she pointed at the wincing Mondo for emphasis.

"Exactly, he's on an entire new league. I know I can be able to lift people up but...to him...it was like he weighed like a paper when he lifted him up." Nidai remarked almost breathlessly.

Twogami turned to the gymnast with an incredulous look. "And you wanted to go toe-to-toe against him? I know you're not smart, but even the stupidest of imbeciles wouldn't even imagine of going against him."

The heavyset Togami's rhetoric made the students look at Akane with scared, worried, and shocked expression with the gymnast returned with a wide smile as she cracked her knuckles.

"Heh, I know, and that's what makes it so exciting!" Owari grinned as her body shivered slightly from excitement. Just imagining her duking it out against the monstrous Katakuri send shivers down her spine.

"Gonta not sure that's such good idea. You might end up getting hurt very bad and Gonta don't want that to happen." The tall entomologist said worryingly as he scratched his head nervously.

"I would like to agree with Gokuhara-san as well. I wouldn't like watching you going against someone that's way too big for you to combat against. Please, I highly recommend you reconsider your decision before you end up regretting it." Ishimaru agreed as he walked besides Gonta.

The busty gymnast scoffed at the two. "Thanks for the advice boys, but I know what I'm doing."

"Like seriously, you are out of ya flipping mind, girl. Like, did you even saw what he did when he was here?" Junko asked with her arms folded.

"Don't be a dumbass, lady. You really don't know how much that guy is capable of. Coming from a guy like me, doing something as fucking stupid as trading blows with that giant would leave you a smear on the floor." Fuyuhiko said with an expression of a mixture between irritation and slight surprise.

Akane's smile faltered slightly after hearing the raised concerns and recommendations of calling off the duel between her and Katakuri. She jabbed a thumb at herself with a determined look on her face. "Look guys, I really appreciate for your concern for my well-being and all, but I really want to fight against Naegi's new friend. Yes, I know I won't stand a chance against him, but I want to know through experience, not by watching."

The gymnast's words rang through the minds of the students a bit, especially Makoto and the combatant students. Despite knowing the outcome of the fight, the girl still desired to fight against Katakuri, despite witnessing his capabilities. Akane's words met with more incredulity, denial, concern, and worriment for her after she said those words, and as if on cue, someone decide to voice out another thing that made the sound of the gymnast's decision even more stupid and hopeless.

"Even if you do go against him, how would you be able to land a solid hit on him? From what we've seen, not only he possesses strength and speed beyond reason, he's capable of being immune to bullets. So if bullets wouldn't even graze him, what do you think how much effect your attacks would be?" Maki asked with a grim tone.

Like a tidal wave, the caregiver's words crashed on whatever slimmer of positive reaction from Akane's proclamation like a sand castle. They totally forgot that aspect of Katakuri. They _literally_ saw him took on a terrifying onslaught of a military grade mini-gun without a single singe on his body, and used his body to catch all the bullets of the gun and dropped them on the floor, then destroyed said gun.

Everyone's eyes widened as they recalled the jaw-dropping sight of watching a jellybean becoming a lethal projectile that obliterated the weapon, as if on cue, every single head turned to the dropped bullets and the shattered mangled remains of the machine gun.

The gymnast, with her face still set from her last determined speech, let out a single sweat after hearing Maki's words, recalling the machine gun incident, and looked at the scrap metal.

"Well?" Maki's asked with a sharp tone.

.

.

.

.

.

"Heh...well..." Akane's face faltered to a nervous look as she folded her arms and turned her attention to the ground instead of the curious eyes the students are giving her for her answer to Maki's point.

.

.

.

*soft cough* "Well...I guess I have to hit harder then."

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.

.

If this was an anime, everyone would've face fault. In place, the students' faces turned even more taken back by the absurdity of Owari's 'answer' to fight against Katakuri's invincible ability. Even Makoto couldn't deny that Akane's answer was ridiculous.

"Wow, as if you couldn't get any more stupid." Kokichi said with an unusual deadpan tone.

"That's your plan? Hit harder?" Rantaro asked with a raised eyebrow.

Akane's face grimaced a bit as she rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "W-well, I hadn't thought of that..."

"It's quite obvious that you never think. Perhaps that was the first time you think?" Byakuya snorted, earning an annoyed look from the busty gymnast.

"No need to talk like that, jackass." Byakuya's face grew irritated in return for Akane's profane insult.

"My darling, don't you think that your answer was a tad bit...hmmm...idiotic?" Celeste questioned rhetorically with a slight tilt of her head.

The gymnast huffed to regain some confidence after she was shot down by that logic, though the slight blush of embarrassment on her face counters it. "W-well, how was I supposed to know he could be able to be turn into that white goo when he first showed up?" Akane asked, trying to brush off the idiotic feeling.

"I-I mean i-i-it's something that nobody c-could forget, right?" Chihiro asked feebly, shying away from the amount of attention on her way.

"He did said it was some kind of talent he was before he dropped the title. I want to know what kind of talent that would make a person become immune to bullets like that." Hajime remarked with a thoughtful expression.

"Also, how was he able to turn his body into that white stuff, what was it again? Oh yeah, mochi. I thought it was some kind of deadly slime or something like that!" Asahina chimed in.

"He must be some kind of demon from the lowest pits of the Nine Realms! Even with my Four Devas of Destruction and the Twelve Zodiac Generals combined would never commit such demonic acts! What kind of entity is he, he even turned my fearless and powerful Four Devas into frightened mice!" Tanaka exclaimed as the hamsters slowly popped up still shivering like they're traumatized.

"Demon or not, he's the degenerate king! What kind of male would put in such a state that we were facing death itself! If Tenko has the strength, she would take down that disgusting male for putting us like that, especially to poor Himiko-chan! Tenko would never forgive him!" The angered Tenko shouted as she put on a fighting stance to fight against the fear that was still within her.

Makoto was doing his best not to feel intimidated by the number of opinions and complaints and insults the students were voicing out about his friend. Yes, Katakuri was frightening beyond imagination and his appearance looked like something straight out of a nightmare, but he's not bad. The luckster so wanted to argue back to the fearful and angry claims but he's too afraid and nervous to speak up as more opinions were heard.

"Stop fantasizing yourself, girl. That man was clearly capable of wiping a hundred of you out in the blink of an eye and can take down the fighters in this room here with his eyes closed. Deluding yourself will get you nowhere." Togami snorted, which earned a furious look from the Neo-Aikido girl.

"But most importantly, where did he come from? He said he's not from around Japan because obviously I've never heard or seen people like him that weren't even close to his appearance nor height." Kaede asked with a finger under her chin.

"He's clearly not from Novoselic. My people never had someone like him, I'm curious also as to where he came from." Sonia agreed.

"It's quite clear that the place he come from has people that are just as strong as him. His height, appearance, strength, speed, and power were beyond my charts, I could not even comprehend as to how did he obtained such immense power." Kibo noted.

"Were you blind, off the charts?! That guy withstood a freaking Gatling gun, a Gatling gun! With no bullet holes or nothing, not even a scratch!" Kazuichi exclaimed as he grabbed his head in fear.

"Screw the fucking gun, he goddamn destroyed that thing with a candy bean! He's more superhuman than me!" Miu remarked as she pointed at the mangled pile of scrap metal that was formerly the machine gun.

"Such supernatural feats were never seen by my own eyes, he's truly unlike anything or _anyone_ I've ever seen." Korekiyo mused as he tried to play it cool underneath the bill of his hat.

"I second to that. Just what in the hell is he? How in the world was he able to change his body into that mochi stuff and why haven't I heard of him before?" Kaito asked as he scratched his head.

"It's clear that he used some kind of otherworldly magic that not even I knew or heard of." Himiko chimed in.

"You know...for once, coming from a guy like me...I kinda believe that notion, girl. I mean, just like...what is he?" Hagakure asked.

"Even though I'm not a believer in the silly supernatural and beyond notions, and no matter how much we can all try to deny it...what we just seen was absolutely real. Whoever or whatever that Charlotte Katakuri was...he's truly an enigma." The red eyed gambler spoke with her usual poker face, pretty much summarized everyone's thoughts on Katakuri.

Makoto stared at the perplexed, shocked, awed, and fearful crowd of students as they tried to wrap their brains and thoughts on his new friend. The luckster knew that he know nothing about Katakuri other than his background he told everyone during the introduction ceremony sparingly. The thought of having someone like him in Japan would've been shocking to say the least, and if there was more people like him from wherever he come from, the world would've noticed by then.

The ahoge boy couldn't help but thought of those questions as to trying to figure out the mystery of his friend and the curiosity of wanting to know more about him began to bubble in his brain. Then the thought of him trying to pry into Katakuri's business and personal life didn't strike as a good idea since he pretty much was one of the very _few_ who never felt the choking, crushing, and horrifying feeling of being under Katakuri's death glare because of two certain idiots kept pestering him with the question concerning his scarf and then the rest of the students either agreed to them and worst, insulted him of him being hideous underneath. The poor boy shivered from the experience. He may not had felt it physically but even he felt the phantom cloud of unimaginable fear and terror that the students were in during that.

Yep, keeping a mental note of _not_ wanting to get Katakuri mad.

Makoto put aside the thoughts and questions for now since the only thing that matters right now was figuring out a way to leave this nightmare without resorting to spending their lives here or murdering a fellow classmate. His stomach felt a bit queasy from the thought of the gruesome option. Now's not the time to focus on Katakuri right now, they need to continue forming their groups and captains so they can venture and scour the academy and make the best of the situation.

Mustering up the strength and courage, Makoto cleared his throat and walked up the crowd with his arms outstretched in a way to get their attention. "Hey guys, don't you think we should get back to where we're doing?"

The clamoring from the crowd died down as they turned to the luckster who tried his best not to flinch from the amount of attention he's receiving. Yet still, the ahoge boy pressed on. "I-I know all of you want to know a whole lot more about Katakuri-san and what kind of person he is, but we shouldn't be too worried about that now."

Unfortunately, just like last time of his failed attempt of calming Owada and Kuzuryu down, his attempt of putting the crowd back in order was turning into another complete failure as most of the students gave him incredulous looks.

"Brah, like seriously, that guy was straight up terrifying, he was like all of my nightmares combined into one! I felt like I was gonna die when he glared at me like that!" Hiro exclaimed as he's still shaking from the traumatizing experience.

"No kidding, it was like death itself was staring right into my soul!" Kazuichi screamed hysterically.

"As I suspected, he's no doubt the deadly demon from the Ninth Realm! There's no mortal on this planet would ever have the potential to go against my Four Devas, yet alone turn them into cowering, spineless rats!" Tanaka exclaimed dramatically while he put up a defensive stance.

"For once Tenko agrees with the male! He must've use some kind of dirty trick to make us felt in such a despicable way! And why is that he is defending the king of degenerates like that?" Tenko agreed as she glared accusingly at the nervous luckster.

Tenko's accusation towards Makoto made the boy take a few steps back as if the piercing glare from the girl and the growing suspicion in the eyes of the students pushed him back. "D-defending, Katakuri-san is not-"

"Oh dismiss us with that nonsense. It's pretty obvious that behemoth you called a friend was no doubt annoyed of all of us and is planning right now to take all of us out. Wow, you could be such a brain-dead idiot." Hiyoko sneered venomously as she narrowed her eyes at Makoto.

"Hey come on, lay off Naegi will ya? He hadn't done anything wrong, all he did was brought his friend in and he introduced himself in a way that scared us." Asahina scorned, defending the ahoge boy.

Sayaka walked up beside the tanned swimmer with the same defensive look on her face as she glared at the bullying girl. "No, he didn't. While it's true Katakuri scared all of us and he was clearly out of this world, that gives you no right to call Naegi-san like that." Makoto let out a small smile as he was relieved and happy that his friends Sayaka and Asahina were defending him from the unnecessary name-calling and accusations from the students, especially from the sharp tongued Saionji.

Their defense for Makoto didn't set quite well with the redhead photographer. "Even though what Hiyoko-chan said was out of line, that still doesn't answer why would he be friends with someone as monstrous as that...Katakuri." Mahiru let out the giant's name with slight discomfort and if one was quite perceptive, a tiny hint of venom.

"Tch, whatever." The dancer scoffed before turning her head with a huff, earning the annoyed looks of the two girls. Sadly, the moment of relief for Makoto was tragically cut short from another person who was still fearful from Katakuri.

"T-t-then it's true, Naegi released a demon upon us!" Hanamura screamed fearfully as sweat streamed down his face.

"W-what, Katakuri-san's not a dem-"

"Liar! I-I-If you hadn't came into this gym with that scarf and h-hat, t-then we wouldn't have to worry about that m-m-m-monster!" Fukawa accused sharply as she pointed at the taken back luckster.

"Wait, wha-"

"Tenko knew it! That degenerate unleashed the king of degenerates into out midst and now the safety for all the girls here are at stake! Tenko cannot let that happen!" The Neo-Aikido girl proclaimed fiercely as she put on a stance against Makoto.

The poor luckster couldn't form an argument since he pretty much set off a more heated chain of confusion, fear, and anger from the students and just like before with a few (Sayaka, Asahina, Kaede, Hajime, Kaito, and Rantaro) trying to stop the uprising chaos as the gym was now filled with students arguing against each other over whether he's a real threat by bringing Katakuri in and being treated like a pariah and the other side defending Makoto by claiming all of this was not his intention.

This was what Monokuma desired:

Confusion.

Arguments.

Discord.

Distrust.

Accusations.

Spite.

Fear.

Anger.

Hysteria.

But most of all...

.

.

.

Despair.

Makoto's stomach churned as he watched the crowd arguing against each other and some of them arguing, asking, insulting, or accusing him for being a conspirator by having Katakuri along for him to kill them all so that they can go free.

"H-hey, Katakuri-san was not an-" Once again, Makoto was rudely cut off by the hysterical Toko who glared at him with her brows furrowed and her face a bright red.

"S-S-STOP LYING, YOU FILTHY LIAR! YOU PLANNED TO KILL ALL OF US FROM THE VERY BEGINNING-"

 ***CRAAAASSSHHH***

 _ **"THAT'S ENOUGH!"**_

The entire gym shook like an earthquake as the students wobbled from the violent vibrations the ground was emitting. Some of the clumsier students fell down and while everyone else tried to gain better balance during the quake, they were no match for the powerful vibrations. It took all their strength to not fall down like the others that weren't strong enough to withstand the shockwave.

Every student turned to the person responsible for the quake. The students felt a tremor of fear as they thought that the monstrous Katakuri heard their accusations, questions, prodding, and pestering to Makoto and walked back in and once again used his ungodly power to snap them out of their hysteria. All eyes turned to the person and some of the students (Hiro, Yamada, Hiyoko, Toko, Mikan, and Chihiro) had tears in their eyes from the fear of meeting the face of the crimsonhead nightmare but the students' terror dwindled a bit as the person who caused the shockwave was the **Ultimate Team Manager** , Nekomaru Nidai.

The muscular coach was on a stance that looked like he was harnessing his energy. Sparks of blue electricity fizzled and crackled forming some kind of aura as the beefy coach remained in the position. A small cloud of dust formed around his ankles after the quake finally settled and died. Then, Nidai lifted up his head as his eyes glowed a fiery, furious blue as the veins on his forehead pulsed as he bore holes into the fearful students. The coach's face was one that would make even Katakuri proud. His teeth were bared, looking like they were on the verge of cracking if grinded the wrong way. His beefy body trembled in a rage that it looked like it was taking all of his willpower not to lash out in a blind filled fury.

Like a furious bear, the coach roared.

 **"ALL OF YOU STOP THIS BULLSHIT NOW! NOW'S NOT THE TIME FOR FINGER POINTING OR MINDLESS PANIC! NAEGI HADN'T DONE ANYTHING TO ALL OF YOU BUT GREETED HIS FRIEND TO YOU! THIS ISN'T WHAT A TEAM SUPPOSE TO DO!"** Nekomaru bellowed loudly, shaking the thunderstruck students as they stared at the livid coach in newfound fear and respect.

"Coach is right! All of you are acting like total spineless and backstabbing bitches! Don't any of you have any form of respect, do you?! Do I need to beat the shit outta ya to knock some sense into y'all heads?!" Akane roared furiously as she cracked her knuckles for emphasis.

"Even though I'm not a fan of violence, the arguments and accusations to Makoto were anything but necessary. Naegi-senpai hadn't done anything that was considered offensive to any of you. The mindless mob mentality certainly didn't help anything." Kibo added in with a slightly angered tone in his voice.

Kaede walked up with her arms folded. "If only there was a way to bring all of you back together with a piece of music. All of this blame gaming, panicking, hysteria, insults, and repetitive questions will do nothing but give Monokuma what he wanted out of us. Don't you all want to get out of this place without resorting to such nasty and toxic behavior?"

"This behavior is the textbook definition of dishonorable. Naegi's friend did put all of us off guard and in states of shock and terror, and I can't blame you for voicing out your opinions on Katakuri, whether it be positive or negative. But what purpose would it serve if you all act like thoughtless fools?" The beefy Sakura remarked with a scornful expression on her sharp features. The busty swimmer nodded in agreement with her friend.

"Exactly, what point would it prove if we all stand here and talk about Katakuri all day and do nothing that would help us on getting out of this nightmare that bear left us in? Especially if you all wanting to get all in Makoto's face asking about his friend and persecuting him of planning those incidents to begin with." Asahina voiced in with an angry look that completely contrasted her normal bubbly expression.

"Makoto hadn't done anything to all of you. All he did was pranked us and showed us his friend. And while I too want to know more about his friend, I'm more concerned on finding a way out of here." Sayaka agreed.

"Hmph, even if this is beneath me, watching and hearing all of you acting like brain-dead monkeys and putting the blame on Naegi for all that transpired here was giving me a serious migraine. Now if you all finished acting like such whiny and petulant children, I suggest we should focus on more weighty matters." Byakuya scorned as he pushed his glasses.

"That senseless act of blaming and arguing wasted enough time as it is already. None of that solved anything but threw away the precious time we are wasting by acting in a thoughtless and ignorant manner. And that's coming from a guy like me." Ryoma remarked coldly as he walked up while fixing his hat as his empty eyes glared at the silent students.

"And besides, Katakuri was not that bad. All we did was getting all in his business and nobody like anyone being all in their privacy like that. Hmmm, I wonder why..." Himiko agreed as she gave a not-so subtle look at Yamada and Hagakure who gulped as they saw the annoyed magician staring at them.

"So it would be the best action for all of us to do is to continue where Katakuri told us to do, picking a group and a captain and search this school. While I know all of you have questions and wanted answers as to who and what Naegi's new friend is, even I want to know as well, acting like an angry mob would lead us nowhere but to more confusion and delay. Quit wasting time and let's get back to business." Kirigiri finished with a sharp tone of finality, cutting through the gym like a knife.

On one hand, the students remained shocked and fearful as they were put back in their place after the more reasonable students told them off on their behavior. Some of the students let out a small gulp to try to calm themselves after the frightening Nidai unleashed a shockwave that shut them up and the students defending Makoto called them out.

Speaking of Makoto, the luckster let out a small smile as he was finally relieved from all the craziness that transpired. He was no doubt extremely thankful from some of the students' actions of calming the hysterical students down and defending him from the accusations. Even though he knew that he'll receive some bad treatment later on down the line and maybe some more accusations, he's still taking the time to let out a long sigh to let out the anxiety, stress, and excitement from the experience.

Soon after Kyoko said her piece, the students solemnly went back to their business and continue to get back into selecting fellow students to be in a group and a captain to lead them, leaving the gym in another moment of silence. Only this time, it's awkward.

In the luckster's mind, he want nothing more than to finish assembling the team with Asahina, Sakura, and Sayaka and scour the academy to get a good bearing of his surroundings and when the day be over, he'll find a way to crash and burn to sleep off of all the excitement and feelings that had transpired this day.

Well, no time like the present, right?

* * *

 **Day One**

 **First Floor**

 **Gym**

 **11:57 a.m.**

Makoto walked up to Asahina, Sayaka, and Sakura after everybody when back to business. "Hey guys." The three girls turned to the luckster who has a relieved expression on his face.

"I-I would like to say thanks for the save...I really mean it. It's hard enough to have people think all of this was my fault." The luckster thanked with a slightly worn out tone.

The idol smiled warmly at Makoto. "Oh there's no need to thank us, Naegi-san. Thanks are not needed for standing up for a friend in need."

"Yeah, that's what friends are for, right? That wasn't necessary for them to accuse you like that." Asahina added with a huff.

"Their behavior was truly disgusting. Despite our surprise by your friend and our curiosity to know more about him, we shouldn't let it overtake our main objective of leaving this prison disguised as a school. All you ever did was pull a stunt that scared us, that's all. Everything else just took its course." Sakura finished with her arms folded.

"So don't let them get to you, Naegi. And besides, if he's your friend, he's your friend. And if he's friendly as you said he is, then we should give him a chance." Sayaka said.

The luckster smiled brightly after hearing their reason for defending him. Makoto was glad that he was able to make new friends that'll be open to Katakuri's nature, and if he's open to them, then things will go smoothly and the faster they'll be by finding a way out of here. "Thank you so much, guys." His gratitude earned a giggle from Maizono, a bright smile from Asahina, and a positive hum from Ogami.

"Now, let's say we continue and find two more to join our group?" Makoto asked with a smile.

"Yeah, let's go!" The bubbly swimmer cheered and the four walked to find someone that can join their growing group. After a few minutes of searching, they come across a lone boy standing with his back turned from the student prong. The boy was none other than the robotic Kibo.

"So, would you guys think of Kibo, is he good for our group?" Makoto asked the girls. They looked at the boy and came up with their thoughts.

"Sure, he's a really nice guy. It's really sad that he's not much well liked because of his appearance." Sayaka commented with a slightly sad expression.

"Yeah, there's no problem at all for him joining us. Right, Sakura?" Asahina said and asked as she looked at her muscular friend for addition.

Sakura nodded softly. "Indeed, his help would be great considering he can be able to identify places in case more locations contained concealed weapons. Also, he is capable of self-defense."

"Well then, let's invite him." Asahina chimed and the four walked to the robotic boy.

Makoto and the girls walked up to the android and tapped his shoulder. Kibo turned with a slightly surprised look. "Hey Kibo, we was wondering if you like to join our group."

Kibo's face turned to even more surprise considering that they walked up to him and ask him to join their party without the slightest hesitation with the fact that he's a robot. "Most people avoid me because of my looks. Do you really mean it, Naegi-senpai?" The boy asked with a slight hesitated tone.

The luckster smiled. "Of course, we would really like for you join us. We could really need your help."

"So are you in, Kibo?" Sayaka asked cheerfully. Kibo continued to stare at the four, subtly trying to search any form of deception in their faces, but in return he found a warm welcome for him to join in their group. The robotic boy's face changed into a smile for their kindness.

"If I could be able to form emotions, I would be crying right now. I'll gladly join you and help you in any way I can. Thank you so much, seniors." Kibo thanked with a soft tone.

Makoto's smile widened when Kibo thanked them for being kind for offering of being their teammate. "It's no problem, Kibo. And you can call us by our names, no need to add senpai." That made the robotic boy smiled even further.

"Yayyy, welcome to the club Kibo-san! So we need one more person to make our team complete." Hina remarked cheerfully as she pumped her fists in excitement.

"While we search for one, who would be the leader for our little brigade? Would you like to lead this group, Naegi-san?" Kibo offered as twenty pair of eyes turned to Makoto, who was surprised to say the least.

"W-wait, m-me? Y-you want me to lead?" The luckster stammered nervously.

"Of course, you're more than capable of leading this group better than us." Sayaka chimed with her usual sweet smile, making the boy more flustered.

"W-what, I mean, I wouldn't call myself a leader...I mean, would Sakura like to lead the group, she's plenty more capable of being a leader than me." Makoto turned to the beefy girl, almost expecting the fighter to agree to his notion. But like before, fate has other plans for the lucky boy.

"There's no need to sell yourself short, Naegi. While I appreciate the offer, I would prefer you to be the head of this group, since you're a more approachable person. I prefer to offer assistance if a problem comes our way." Sakura said, her words reeling Makoto back in surprise.

"And I would like to assist Miss Sakura if a situation requires some physical manner of solving it. I would also appreciate if you lead this group, Naegi-san." Kibo added.

"W-wha-"

"Then it's settled. Naegi-san, you are now team captain of our squad!" Asahina cheered. The flustered Makoto smiled shakily as he was pretty much stuck with the title of being captain of the group, yet he couldn't help but feel a bit happy that his friends are seeing him to be more of a leader than a follower. It wasn't a manner of pride, oh no, it was more of like a confidence boost for his self-esteem.

"Well, if you guys insist...I'll lead the group." Makoto smiled. His response received smiles from the four teammates, further making the boy feel happier by the second.

"So who shall we pick next, oh fearless leader?" Asahina asked with a slight tease at the end. Makoto smiled but this time with more confidence as he straightened himself.

"Who knows, Asahina. But let's go and find out." Makoto replied as his team agreed and they followed the luckster to find one last person to join their brigade to begin their search in the academy.

* * *

 **Day One**

 **First Floor**

 **Gym**

 **12:12 p.m.**

Hajime sighed after the more reasonable students ceased the endless onslaught of accusations and panic towards Makoto for Katakuri. The taller ahoge boy kept a focused look on Kyoko as she went back to her solitude, no doubt thinking on what to do when she decides to go venturing. The lavender girl no doubt has the ability to lead, her focused look, her stoic nature, and her rationality over emotion, she's definitely leader material.

*snore*

However, his thoughts about asking the aloof girl was cut off by a light snore.

Hajime looked to his side and saw a sight that'll stick to his mind: Chiaki Nanami sleeping while standing with some drool running down her chin...oh, and with a little snot bubble to boot.

"Chiaki..."

*snore*

"Chiaki..."

*snore*

Sighing, Hajime nudged his elbow to the sleeping gamer's side, with nothing but a slight snort from the girl. The boy couldn't help but smile at the silly girl sleeping after a rollercoaster that had happened this morning. Pulling a light smirk, Hajime came up with an idea that'll wake Chiaki up from her dream world. He lifted his hand and formed a flicking gesture and inched to the nodding Chiaki's head. The boy then let out a light flick to the gamer's forehead, finally snapping her out of her slumber.

"H-huh, w-wha-?" Chiaki murmered sleepily before yawning. "What time is it?"

Hajime was a bit surprised at the gamer's antics. Was she asleep the whole time while Katakuri was here or did she fell asleep as soon as the giant left? Whatever the reason, Chiaki is no doubt one of the textbook definitions of drowsy. Lazy, sort of.

"Time to wake up, Nanami. I had to wake you up, you dozed off." Hajime replied. The gamer shook her head to knock off any form of sleepiness and rubbed her eyes of any sand. "How did you wake me up, Hinata?" she asked sleepily.

"I tried nudging you but you didn't respond, so I have to thump you on your forehead to knock you out of it." The boy replied casually. Chiaki rubbed her forehead and felt a little soreness from Hajime's flick. This earned a cute, chipmunk pout from the gamer as she glared at him.

Hajime rose his hands in a defensive manner. "Hey now, I didn't mean it like that. You're a heavy sleeper, that's all. We had to get back to where we was doing."

The gamer dropped the pout as she scanned around the gym and counted everyone here. Chiaki's eyes widen a bit as she realized she's missed one person. "Hey, where's Makoto's new friend...ummm, oh yeah Katakuri?" she asked.

Hajime lowered his hands as he let out a sigh that caught the gamer's attention. "Well, it's a bit of a story..."

*a few minutes of explaining later*

To say that Chiaki was shocked was an understatement. After what Hinata told her about what Katakuri did before he left made her recall the initial feelings of awe and horror when he first appeared. Speaking of which, the gamer looked down at her Nantendo that had long since lost its power and continued to laid on the gym floor. Thankfully, the system wasn't damage, but Chiaki kept her shocked expression on her dropped game, never recalled a time where she ever dropped her game. Her hands felt empty as she open and closed them.

Noticing her attention to her system, Hajime bent down and picked up her system and handed it to her. Both of them stood in brief awkward silence as they tried to shake off the terrified feeling when the crimsonhead was present. Chiaki continued to stare at her game that was in Hajime's hand before she slowly raised her slightly shaky hands and grab hold of it. The gamer kept her gaze at her powered down system for a few seconds, still couldn't believe that she would once in life drop her Nantendo like a hot potato. She still imagined the entire events that happened when Katakuri was here that led to this point, and it's like as if her brain was either overridden with such emotion or she grew tired after the giant left. Whatever the case may be, Chiaki couldn't wrap her head around who and what Charlotte Katakuri is.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Hajime cleared his throat to cut the awkward moment between the two. "So, do you wanna help me find some people to join our group?" he offered, shaking off the previous awkwardness in his tone.

Chiaki turned to the boy and nodded her head in agreement. "Sure Hinata, let's get started..." she replied. Then the gamer turned back to her game and pushed the power button and in a few seconds, her system returned to life and she resumed her laser focused game playing. Then the two of them walked to find anyone to join their group.

After a few minutes of searching, Hajime accidentally bumped into someone and that caused Chiaki to bump into the boy. Hajime and Chiaki steadied themselves and the boy was about say apologize to who he bumped to, and he stopped himself when he saw that the person was the extremely timid and shy Mikan Tsumiki.

The nurse remained statuesque still with the her face froze with a mixture of fear, numbed shock, and horror as her eyes widened and her jaw tightened. Even her usual fidgeting ceased when she stood still. The bump only made her move a bit until she remained back to her shell-shocked state. Hajime turned to Chiaki who briefly lifted her eyes off her game and both of them nodded and agreed that Mikan would be a great addition to their group.

"Hey, are you okay Mikan?" he asked with concern. The poor nurse remained unresponsive and continued to give the thousand-yard stare. It's no doubt that she's so full of fear and terror from Katakuri that her brain shut down and she practically fainted while standing.

The taller ahoge boy poked the nurse's shoulder to snap her out of her trance. "Hey Mikan, can you hear me? Mikan?" Still, his answer was Mikan's shocked silence. Hajime thinking of a way to get the timid girl to snap out of it and came up with a much better approach than what he did to Chiaki. The boy then landed his hand on her shoulder and lightly shakes her and like magic, Mikan's blank frozen eyes regained their light as she finally woke up from her fear-induced shock.

"H-h-h-huh, w-w-wha?" The nurse mumbled before she regained back her senses.

"You okay, Mikan?" Hajime asked again, now glad that Mikan was back to reality.

The jumpy nurse was startled by the boy and took a few steps back before proceeding to bow her head repeatedly. "O-O-Oh, I-I-I d-didn't m-mean to be in your way, p-please forgive me!" Mikan stammered timidly.

Her actions confused the duo as they looked at the nurse with raised eyebrows. "H-hey, it's okay Mikan. It was my fault for not watching where I was going. No need to apologize like that." Hajime reassured.

Mikan looked up with shaking eyes and a quivering lip as she's still not the least bit calm after she realized she was bumped by the two. "B-but it was m-m-my fault, I-I-I should've stood out of the way b-b-but I had to be a klutz! Y-Y-Y-You have my p-permission to hit me if you like!" she cried.

That definitely put Hajime off. His eyes widened in shock by how Mikan wanted him to hit her all over a silly accident. The boy shook his head and did his best to calm down the fidgeting and terrified nurse. "Hey now, why would I ever hit you? It's not even necessary to even lay hands on you the wrong way. It's our fault for not paying attention, we just want to know if you like to join our group."

Hajime's offer stunned the nurse as she stopped her repetitive bowing and stared at the boy with surprised eyes. Mikan never expected anyone to approach her without making fun of her, let alone ask her to be part of a group. "B-B-Become a part of your g-group? Are you s-s-sure?" she asked with her usual shaky tone.

The boy nodded with a small, reassuring smile. "Yeah, I mean, in case any one of us gets injured, we do need someone that's really great in the medical field, am I right? And besides, you do need some new friends." Hajime replied.

"F-F-F...Friends? You want to be friends...w-with m-m-me?" Mikan asked, almost hopefully.

Hajime's smile widened even further. "Sure, me and Chiaki would love to have you in our group. Right, Nanami?" The boy turned to the gamer that resumed her game playing before briefly looking at the timid nurse before letting out a small smile of her own as her response.

"Sure, we wouldn't mind Hinata-san." she replied casually before getting back to her game. Hajime turned back to the nurse now grinning.

"See? Would you like to be a part of our group?" he asked.

Mikan's face remained in her shocked state as she couldn't believe that they would approach her and ask her to join her group, not caring of her antics or her stammering. Most people would find her behavior weird, annoying, or at worst, make fun of her and bully her. But here there are two people who casually brushed aside her quirks and reassures her and didn't poke fun at her personality. In all honestly, it wanted to make the nurse cry but instead of in sadness or fear, it would be in joy.

Sadly, right before Mikan gives her answer, the good mood surrounding the three was shattered by a young girl's snarky, sharp voice. "Geez, why would you want that klutz to be a part of your group?"

Hajime's smile dropped as he, Chiaki, and Mikan turned and looked at the **Ultimate Traditional Dancer** Hiyoko Saionji who had her usual trademark snide expression as she glared at the timid nurse, who's shaking under her glare. It wasn't long for Hajime and Chiaki to put two and two together to know that Hiyoko was a bully. And one of the main things Hajime Hinata hates the most, are bullies.

"What do you mean by that, Hiyoko?" Hajime asked sternly.

The dancer snorted. "I mean, big bro, why would you want pig shit face here to join in your group? For all I know, her presence would be bad luck for your well-being. What good she could be? Being a complete dumb bimbo that always fall flat on her face and embarrass herself? Come join my group, big bro and big sis. Would you rather have a competent girl who knows what she's doing rather than this dumbass?"

The poor nurse's eyes was threatening to spill tears from the abusive and toxic words Hiyoko spewed out. She's for sure know that her would-be friends would now think of her different after the dancer told them she's an idiot. Of course they will, why wouldn't they? It's only a matter of time until-

"First of all, we're not your siblings. And two, don't you ever call Tsumiki-san those names again. She's none of those and she's a much better person than a hundred of you combined. We want her in our group and there's nothing you could say or do that'll change our minds. So it'll be your best interest and get out of here before I really get angry." Hajime warned with an underlying angered tone. The boy glared at the sharp tongued dancer who's face briefly turned to one of slight surprise before it reset back to its default sneer.

"Tch, whatever." After that, Hiyoko turned around and skipped away back into the crowd.

Hajime glared at the back of the girl until she's completely hidden in the prong. After that, he let out a sigh to calm him down, doing his best not to let Hiyoko's insults to Mikan get to him. Chiaki noticed this and poked at his arm, grabbing his attention.

"Don't be upset. Don't let her words get you down like that, Hinata." she said. The boy calmed himself down and let out a relieved smile.

"Yeah, you're right Nanami-san. I just really hate bullies." he replied. Hajime then turned to the shocked Mikan who heard every single word that the taller ahoge boy had said in defense against Saionji's venomous words. She was expecting for them to turn their backs on her and reject her like all the others, but they stood their ground and Hajime told Hiyoko to back off and that they would never lose their interest of her. That made the nurse's heart swell as she feel like crying again.

"I'm so sorry about that, Mikan. Don't let what she said about you get you worked up, alright?" Hajime said, wanting to make sure the nurse was alright. His eyes widened when he saw tears spilling down Mikan's cheeks. The nurse began to sniffle as her body slightly shook.

Hajime and Chiaki's faces turned to worry as they didn't expect Mikan to cry after of what Hiyoko's insults made her feel. "W-wha-M-Mikan! A-are you alright?" Hajime asked with a raised tone. Chiaki paused her game as she stared at the crying nurse with a concerned expression.

"Please Miss Tsumiki, don't let her words get you to you. You are none of those things, you're a really nice girl." Chiaki reassured.

What they didn't expect next was Mikan's face to slowly form into a shaky smile as she began to wipe her tears. "I-I-I always get called like that, a-a-and very few times I-I would accept that I am an ugly girl..." Mikan said shakily.

Hajime's face furrowed as his ire from the dancer's insults riled him up again. "Hey now, you're not an-"

"But...y-you stood up for me a-and you two still wanted to be with me despite of w-w-what Hiyoko had called me. O-O-Of course...of course I would be your friend! I would be very happy to join your group! T-thank you, thank you so much!" Mikan cried happily as she let out her very first smile, which was truly a sight to be seen.

Hajime and Chiaki's worries for Mikan's feelings were gone as they now realized that the timid girl wasn't crying out of hurt feelings, but out of gratitude and happiness as she now has two new friends that wanted nothing more than to have her a part of their group. In place, bright smiles were formed on their faces.

"Well Miss Tsumiki, from here on in, the three of us are now level two friends." Chiaki said happily. Hajime smiled as he helped Mikan dry her tears and straighten herself out.

"Alright then, that makes three of us. Ready to find more people to join our-"

*flash*

The trio's eyes widened as a flash made them surprised. They turned to where the flash came from and it came from a camera held by Mahiru Koizumi, who held the camera at her face and by her side was Chihiro Fujisaki.

"And got it!" Mahiru called out.

Hajime shook the dazed when he was flashed as he and the girls looked at the newcomers. "M-Mahiru? Chihiro? What are you two doing here?"

Mahiru let out a small smirk as she lowered her camera. "It's obvious. Me and Chihiro here decided to join your group." The programmer nodded slightly in agreement.

"Huh?" Hajime tilted his head in confusion.

The photographer shook her head slightly at the boy's confusion before giving him some light as to why. "Well, me and Chihiro saw what you did for Mikan when Hiyoko-chan was calling her those names. I let Chihiro know that it was a man's job to defend a lady, even from another lady." Mahiru explained.

"W-w-we saw what you did for M-Mikan and Mahiru decided for us f-for us to join your group...i-if you don't mind of course." Chihiro added meekly.

Hajime turned to Chiaki and Mikan then to the two newcomers after Mahiru's explanation, but the boy was still confused as to why Mahiru took a picture of the three. "I-I mean sure, but why did you took a picture of us?"

Mahiru put her hands on her hips as she looked at Hajime like what she did was so obvious. "Well, a photographer's job is to capture the best moments in people. So what I saw was one of your best moments, and I wanted to capture that moment so I could be able to differentiate between you and the average man." she explained casually.

Hajime still looked perplexed by her reason. The redhead let out a slightly exasperated sigh at the boy's confusion and decided to be a little frank. "In other words, I decided that you're a decent enough man to be around and Chihiro wants to join in to."

Hajime still couldn't wrap his brain around Mahiru about her reason and her almost expectant attitude, but he shook it off and decided to let it go. "Alright. Well, I guess we just need one more to make our group complete. And hopefully the last person would be captain material."

"And who would that be, Hinata?" Mahiru asked.

The taller ahoge boy told her and the others that Kyoko would be the captain, if she was willing and open to be a part. The suggestion was almost well liked except the programmer didn't looked so sure. Then Chihiro raised her hand slightly to gain their attention before voicing out her opinion.

"I-I don't know Hinata, I don't think Kyoko's not much of a s-social person. She most likely would venture on her own." Chihiro remarked.

Hajime put on a thoughtful expression and then shrugged. "She may not be, but it least it wouldn't hurt to try, right? If she declines, then we'll find someone capable of joining us." Hajime replied. "So, are we ready to go guys?"

"Alright, we'll give it a shot. Ready to get started?" Mahiru called to the group. Chihiro and Mikan nodded with a sheepish smile on their faces and Chiaki nodded while continuing to play her game. Mahiru's grin widen at that and turned around to start to find Kirigiri. Before she did, she turned her head and gave Hajime another look that was expecting him to lead.

Hajime caught that and straightens himself out and cleared his throat. "O-Oh yeah, let's go." Then the boy walked in front with the four girls following behind to find their last potential group member and captain to get their trek in the academy started.

* * *

 **Day One**

 **First Floor**

 **Gym**

 **12:35 p.m.**

"Well Shuichi, shall we get started?"

Kaede's question passed over the young detective-in-training as he's still couldn't grasp on everything that had happened when the crimsonhead giant was here. From his nightmarish introduction, to his monstrous strength and speed, and his no-nonsense personality that'll make the serious students here look like children in comparison, the poor boy was overwhelmed with shock, fear, and awe. How was it possible for a person to able to perform such unnatural feats that Katakuri did? It's just beyond any reason that he couldn't comprehend.

"Hello, earth to Shuichi?"

Shuichi finally snapped back from his overloaded thought trains and turned to the pianist who was at his face with a curious look. Kaede stared at the boy with a slightly raised eyebrow with her hands on her hips. The nervous boy couldn't help but blush from the extreme close up to a girl.

"Y-Y-Y-Yes K-Kaede?" Shuichi's face flushed a faint red as he stared at the blonde pianist.

"Are you alright? You zoned out on me for a moment." Kaede asked with a slightly concerned expression. The cap wearing boy relaxed a bit after regaining back his senses.

"W-Well, I-I'm sort of...I-I'm alright..." Shuichi trailed the last part off a bit, but thanks to many years of playing the piano, Kaede picked up on it.

"Let me guess: you're still in shock about Naegi-senpai's new friend?"

Shuichi's eyes widened a bit at the girl's rhetorical question. "H-How did you know-"

"Shuichi. Everybody here is still trying to wrap their brains around Katakuri. And believe me, I still couldn't believe it myself, but it'll help better if you don't focus on him too much. So don't fry your brain trying to figure him out, alrighty?" Kaede cut in as she looked at the boy with a slightly stern look.

Shuichi turned his eyes to the side to avoid Kaede's look. "Well, i-if you say so..."

The stern look dropped and in turn was a soft smile on the pianist's features. "Come on Shuichi, no need to be all uptight and nervous. Let loose, and don't worry about Katakuri, I'm sure he's not a bad guy when he's not angry, am I right? Now come on, let's go and find some peeps to join in our group." When Kaede grabbed a hold on Shuichi's wrist to start their search, she find herself unable to move.

"W-Wha-?" Kaede turned and saw that the young detective trainee remained standing as he's still looking at the ground. The pianist fully turned to Shuichi to know why he's not coming along.

"Shuichi, aren't you coming?"

The boy let out a small sigh before turning his full attention at the confused pianist. "Kaede. I...I don't want to be rude or anything...but while I do appreciate the help to start a group...I was thinking that maybe I should start my own group." Shuichi explained.

Kaede's face turned to slight surprise when she heard that Shuichi wanted to start his own group, despite him being very skittish and not very sociable. But instead of feeling offended or hurt, the pianist pulled a slight satisfactory smirk.

"Well, it's about time."

Now it's Saihara's turn to be confused. The trainee was expecting to explain his reason in depth if Kaede feels confused or offended by his choice of starting his own group, but rather instead of slight anger or refusal to his choice, he was met with gladness.

"W-Wait...you agree?" Kaede's grin grew wider.

"Yeah. I wouldn't get mad at you if you wanted to start your own group. Tell you what: we form our groups and after we finish our own adventure, we'll trade each other's information and maybe catch up. What do you say?" The pianist offered as she let go of his wrist.

The boy nodded as he agreed to Kaede's plan. "Yeah, sure Kaede."

"Wonderful, it's a deal! Let's bump on it." The pianist raised her left arm and formed a fist to Shuichi, who was confused by the gesture.

"Ummm...what?" The trainee scratched his face in perplexion. Kaede closed her eyes and shook her head slightly at Shuichi's obliviousness to the fist bump.

Finally after a few seconds, Shuichi let out a gasp and his face turned pink in embarrassment while the blonde's giggling added to the silliness. Shuichi raised his right arm and his fist bumped into hers as he finally let out a small smile of his own.

"It's a deal." Shuichi said.

Kaede's smile brightened as their fists met. She straightened her backpack and turned around to start her own search. Right before Shuichi gets started on his search, he was stopped by a voice.

"Hey Shuichi!"

The boy turned and saw that the voice was Kaede, who wasn't lost in the crowd as she looked at him with her usual smile. "After we finish our own searches, would you still like to listen to me play one of my favorite compositions?" she asked.

Shuichi's answer was a wider smile as he straightened his cap. "I would love to, Kaede."

The pianist's grin with her pearly teeth shining as she finally returned back to her group searching as she's finally lost in the student prong, leaving the smiling trainee to start on his own search. Shuichi straightened himself out as he focused on himself to work his way on finding the best solutions on solving the mystery on getting out of the death trap of an academy.

* * *

 **Day One**

 **First Floor**

 **Hallway**

 **12:47 p.m.**

 _'Hmm, looks like they're finally getting started on their group and captain selection. That'll give me a little time to myself before they get started on their own ventures.'_

The hallways of the academy were filled by the crimsonhead giant's spurs as he ventured through the academy to get a better grip on his surroundings. While he's still weakened, his heightened senses allowed Katakuri to hear the entire arguments when the students were voicing out their thoughts on him and it grew worse when they decided to riddled Makoto with ridiculous accusations. Thankfully, the boisterous Nekomaru and others ceased the absurd behavior and the students were back to reality and decided to get back on their business.

Katakuri scanned the hallways and spotted the windows that were supposed to let the sun shine its ray in the halls blocked by monotonous iron. Whoever is it that's controlling the academy, certainly doesn't want them to see the outside world for some reason. The giant continued his trek until he comes across another path that leads to another hall with multiple doors with two pairs of doors facing each other on the opposite side of the hallway.

"I take it that these are the rooms that everyone sleeps in." The giant noted. He saw that the hallway was too small for him to continue searching. Katakuri would've change his height again to see further but he doesn't want to risk his lower stamina supply and quite possibly health since his power was still in weak condition. He put his hand on the left side of his stomach and he slightly winced when he felt the phantom pain stinging his side.

 _'Of course, the side is still recovering. That wound must've been grievous if the aftermath is still in effect right now. I can't use any more of my powers or I'll strain myself further. Worse case scenario, I'll lose consciousness.'_

Katakuri turned around and walked to the other end of the long hallway as he continued his search. Not while he did an occasional glance at the mounted security cameras with their optical eyes trained on him, no doubt to whoever's on the other end was watching his every move, trying to dice and figure out who and what exactly he is.

Then his mind raced back to what the ahoge luckster had said when Mondo, Fuyuhiko, and Togami were at it. Katakuri was still in surprise that of all things, Makoto Naegi called him a friend. Sure, his heightened sense heard every single word that the students had said about him, he's not an amateur. Yet while some students defended Makoto against the mindless mob and said that he's not a bad person, Makoto claimed to himself that he was a friend, despite his appearance and attitude. The giant couldn't help but think about the little boy while he continued his trek down the empty hallway to get a bearing of the unknown location.

 _'I hope that your search would be more fruitful than mine, Makoto. Keep your guard up, and hopefully, we'll talk more when we meet again.'_

 _End of chapter_

* * *

 _ **AN: AAAAAAAND CUT! That's the end of this chapter! I can't thank you guys enough for the reviews, favorites, and follows, seriously I can't! Oh, and just like you saw, yes, I drew a little cover pic for this story and I hope it's cute and great enough. (A cute Himiko hugging a surprised Katakuri :D XD AAAAWWWWW~~~~). Since April is approaching and a little special for having over 12,000 views and over 60 people following, I decide to post a little omake after this chapter gets posted and when that day hits, be on the lookout for it~**_

 _ **I'm sorry if the intro to this chapter was a recap of everything that happened. I just want to make the chapter more interesting and just wanted to try a new way to start off the chapter. So if the recap was unnecessary or if I need to trim it down, please let me know in the reviews. Please don't hesitate.**_

 _ **I want this chapter to focus more on the DR cast taking in and voicing out their opinions on our crimsonhead giant aaand...yeah, it's exactly what you expect for after going through what had happened for the past chapters. I added a little humor with Akane being a little forgetful of forgetting about Katakuri's ability to morph his body into mochi and being impervious to any form of attacks. Plus, since the last chapters had Kibo's name spelled differently, from here on it, it's Kibo, and whenever I get the chance, I will go over the last chapter and edit his name to match for consistency.**_

 _ **I'm sorry to all Shuichi/Kaede fans if their moment was shorter than Makoto's and Hajime's. I wanted for them to meet their members in the next chapter, so I hope the next chapter would make up for it. And our Katakuri is still surprised that Makoto called him a friend. How will Katakuri handle his own venture before the students will flood the academy doing their own search? Will they bump into him or will he bump into them? Maybe, maybe not?**_

 _ **Poor Makoto was not received quite well for most of the students except for those that defended him and befriended him regardless, yet like them, the ahoge luckster is curious as to Katakuri's mysteries are. Will they discover them down the line, or will the secrets be too much for them to handle? How is our MC going along on his trek in the academy? Will I ever stop asking these obvious questions? Well, find out next time on The Ultimate Big Brother! As always, read, fav, follow, and review! Any flames or rants disguised as criticism will face the wrath of Katakuri's Mole.**_

 _ **Anyways, so sorry I didn't post it yesterday to celebrate April Fool's, but here's an omake of what will happen if Katakuri was at full strength during the introduction ceremony? Read and find out~**_

* * *

 **Omake**

 **Day One**

 **First Floor**

 **Gym**

 **10:10 a.m.**

"Um...if I m-may ask you...w-what is your talent?"

Hajime's question made everyone else to also know what talent does this crimsonhead giant possess? There's no doubt that whatever talent he has, it would definitely be something that'll put theirs to shame.

Before Katakuri could answer, he felt something that sent tingles down his spine. He looked down at his left side of his stomach and found out that the searing phantom pain from the impalement would was gone! The pain was alleviated somehow! Katakuri couldn't help but let out a deep breath to release the pent up stress of the phantom pain that was aching his side ever since he appeared in this unknown location.

But that's not the end of it. Katakuri began to feel his weakened strength flourish back to its full power! The giant felt invigorated, rejuvenated, re-energized, refreshed. Katakuri open and close his fist to feel the seemingly foreign feeling of his replenished strength flowing through his body.

At first, he was going to deny the boy's question, but since the students are still terrified out of their wits from his appearance, he decided to add one more thing to...humor them.

"To answer your question Hajime, I dropped my title." Katakuri answered, putting the student crowd in a state of shock. How could someone would be able to denounce their title over a talent that the prestigious Hope's Peak Academy acknowledged? But the giant wasn't finished.

"But, if you really must know, I'll tell you what my former title was."

Now that grabbed everyone's curiosity, including Makoto, who was the most surprised. Since when did Katakuri decided to tell everyone what his title was? Did Makoto asked him the wrong way back in the hallway? The poor luckster began to feel a bit left out but he was suddenly snapped out of it when he saw Katakuri gave him a very _very_ subtle eyebrow raise that only him caught. Makoto now realized the reason why he didn't told him his talent from earlier, he was saving it as a twist. The luckster gave him a nod and a grin in response.

Looking back to the curious crowd, Katakuri gave them his title's name.

"But rather than telling you now, I'll show you of what I can do.

"Watch this."

With those two words, whatever happened put the students in for a ride of their lives.

Katakuri's hand began to form white orbs and the small orbs floated up. Everyone stopped their laughs as they are now staring at the phenomenon with gaping mouths and bucked eyes. Makoto watched with the similar reactions as everyone, but unlike theirs who are filled with shock that was filled with a bit of terror, his was filled with ecstatic excitement.

Katakuri waved his arm and the white orbs flew in the direction that was at the left side of the gym. Everyone instantly turned to watch as they saw the orbs forming together to form a giant, formless, shapeless mass on the floor. Then, they turned back and saw Katakuri using both of his arms and waving them in an almost dance like manner as he began to manipulate the mass on the floor.

The mass grew larger in size as the white orbs that were still coming out from Katakuri's body changed into small waves. The giant's fingers danced as the small waves wrapped around the forming mass. Then, popping out from the blob was a small tower jutting out. The blob started to become a bit familiar as it resembled a cube. The sloppy cube began to become more definitive as the small waves started to become designs for the cube.

Every eyes that was watching the scene couldn't comprehend of what's going on. Some of the students fell down on their rears and some took plenty of steps back to give space to this indescribable and impossible event.

After a few seconds of forming and shaping, the cube began to resemble a...shrine? The formless shrine became more definitive as the waves and orbs stopped coming to it and the cube grew up to almost to the point that the pointed roof touched the gym's ceiling. The mass begins to harden and some steps are added at the forming entrance and door of the shrine.

 _'And now, the finishing touch.'_ Katakuri mused to himself. He then lowered his left arm as he's now focusing on making the shrine become designed after laying out the foundations. And at last, he clenched his fist.

*DON*

The students stared at the finished shrine in newfound amazement, awe, and thunderstruck shock. They just watched a 16 foot tall giant with an appearance that was something out of a nightmare, used whatever talent he possessed, and turned _mochi_ into a shrine, a gorgeous one to boot! In fact, if this shrine was shown to the outside world, it would've make every single ancient Japanese shrine look like childish sand castles in comparison. They gazed and their eyes drank up every single, miniscule detail of the shrine, further amazed at the design of the shrine.

Their reactions:

"Holy..." Hagakure said, being the first to break the silence as his face turned blue as he sat on the floor.

"Fucking..." Mondo continued as his body trembled as his jaw clenched tightly.

"Shit." Fuyuhiko finished as he took a few steps back in reeling shock.

"D-D-D-Did h-h-h-he j-just..." Hiyoko squeaked out, clinging on to Mahiru, who was not faring any better herself as she couldn't even muster up the strength to take a picture, as her camera was long since dropped on the floor.

"C-Create an a-authentic s-shrine..." Soda whimpered pathetically.

"O-Out of..." Gundham continued as he held his Four Devas in his arms in an overprotective manner as he stared wide eyed at the shrine.

"M-Mochi?" Akane finished breathlessly as she stared at the shrine in awe.

"T-T-That's impossible...h-how was that possible?" Byakuya stuttered as his glasses became crooked as sweat streamed down his face.

Kyoko stared at the shrine as her face was shell-shocked, her hands trembling from the sight. "W-We just witness something...t-that cannot be e-explained...I-I can't seem to even explain i-it..."

Celestia long since lost her usual poker face as she continued to drink up the beautiful shrine in admiration and fear as she also was not a believer of the superstition. What she and everyone else just witnessed, she couldn't even make a remark as she's too stupefied and terrified to form words.

Then, it finally clicked in their minds as they now realized the meaning behind Katakuri's title. Replacing shock was newfound fear, terror, awe, and respect. Their stomachs did backflips as they regretted of ever asking Katakuri what his talent is. What's worse...he didn't told them what his title was, and that's the most terrifying aspect.

Meanwhile, Makoto was beaming from ear to ear. Sure, he was shocked and a little scared out of his wits, but he's filled with amazement and joy of witnessing something so surreal, yet so awesome.

Unknown to Makoto, he's not the only one that's amazed. Standing beside the drooling in fear Tenko, Himiko was grinning as her eyes were gleaming in amazement. She couldn't believe that Katakuri performed something that made her magic pale in comparison. She wanted-no, _need_ to know what's Katakuri's secret of performing breathtaking stunts such as the ones he did when he appeared and creating the shrine.

"Hey Hajime..."

The boy in question jumped as he and everyone else slowly turned away from the shrine and stared at Katakuri who folded his arms. Hajime couldn't even respond as he's too terrified and traumatized by what he just watched.

"The talent that I possess..."

.

.

.

"I was known to be called the **Ultimate Mochi-Man**."

Now, the students have decided to the reason why, the reason why Charlotte Katakuri denounced his title. A title that even if you utter it, it'll make even the toughest and hardened of people in the world shudder and run in fear for the safety of their lives.

The **Ultimate Mochi-Man.**

.

.

.

Meanwhile, a certain two-toned bear that's waiting in secret watched the entire thing and its usual face turned into one that would be told in two words.

 _ **"Oh shit."**_

 _End of omake_

* * *

 _ **A/N: APRIL FOOOOOOOL'S! LATE APRIL FOOL'S! I'm so sorry I didn't post it yesterday, I was making one and my laptop acted up and it refreshed the page, and you know what I felt when that happened. So, anyways, hope you found some laughs at the omake! See you in the next chapter, see ya!**_

 **Beta-Readers**

 **King Carlos**

 **Shadow of Life**

 **Brainstorming Partner ZGMF-X13A Providence**


	11. Chapter 10: Taking it in pt 3

**Chapter 10: Taking it in pt. 3**

"So"-dialogue

 _'Ummm...'-_ thoughts/flashback

*sighs*-onomatopoeia

 **Ultimate Pervert-** title

 ** _"Huh, neat"-_** Katakuri's Future/Monokuma

* * *

 _ **AN: YOOOOOOO! WHAT IS UP, WHAT IS GOOD? THE D, YEEEEEA, GOKUUUUUU D. UZUMAKI here bringing you guys and gals the tenth...official...chapter of The Ultimate Big Brother! I just wanna say right off the bat thank you all so much for your patience for this story's update. Just had a moment in the family where there was some tension to say the least, family issues. But thankfully, I mustered enough strength for me to publish this story and get the ball rolling. Last chapter, things took a little bit slow because of the group building of the students before they venture off and scavenge the academy, with Katakuri already in the lead. I sincerely hope these story progression chapters of the story won't make this fanfiction turn into an usual, boring Danganronpa story with just an OP main character and some excitement to disguise the boring mess. I will do my best to make the story as engaging and exciting as I can be without rushing and adding elements and key figures in the story to make it stand out.**_

 _ **Recently, I've been watching YouTube videos and reading Reddit threads on how to make a good and coherent story without making it generic. I genuinely want this story to be unique on its own accord since the DR crossover section is shockingly low considering the number of vibrant and quirky characters the Danganronpa universe contains, and what better way to add in the craziness of the Hope vs Despair world without adding one of the most popular characters in all of One Piece to mix things up! You get the gist of it.**_

 _ **In this chapter, I decide to skip all the slow group building in the gym and go straight on the groups venturing off in the academy to gain a better grip of their surroundings and also have chances to know each other since they're prisoners altogether. How will each group's interactions with the members be played out? Read and find out!**_

 _ **And thank you all soooo much for the 16,000+ views and nearly 70 favorites, follows, and reviews! :D :D Thank you all so much for your support and I genuinely hope you all love the new story cover I just drew!**_

 _ **Please like, favorite, review, and follow the story. Any flames, rants, or destructive criticism will face the wrath of Katakuri's Mole.**_

 _ **Anyways, let's just dive right in. Taking stage this time, will be the tallest ahoge of the ahoge protag trio, Hajime Hinata!**_

 **Hajime: *walks on stage* Wow...huge audience.**

 _ **GDU: Yeah, I didn't expect such a crowd.**_

 **Hajime: Yeah, no kidding. *ahem* _The following is a non-profit, fan-based fanfiction. Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, Goodbye Despair, and V3: Killing Harmony are all owned by Spike, Too Kyo Games, and Kazutaka Kodaka. Danganronpa: the Animation, Danganronpa 3: Despair, Future, and Hope Arc and Danganronpa Zero are all owned by Funimation, Toei Animation, Fuji TV, and Kazutaka Kodaka. One Piece is owned by Shueisha, Funimation, Toei Animation, Fuji TV, and Eiichiro Oda. Please support the official releases._**

 **Makoto: Bit of a handful eh?**

 **Katakuri: Hmm, yeah, that is a bit much.**

 **Himiko: Hey Kat, why do we have to say all that again?**

 **Katakuri: To avoid getting in trouble, to the say the least.**

 _ **GDU:**_ **_Yeah, avoiding copyright infringement._**

 **Himiko: *lazy yawn* Nyeh, that's too much work to do...**

 _ **GDU: You're telling...**_

* * *

 **Day One**

 **First Floor**

 **Hallway**

 **12:55 p.m**

"I must say Makoto, your friend Katakuri certainly caught every one of us in shock. Never have I seen anyone displayed such superhuman strength and speed like him before," Kibo said to the group leader as they ventured in the hallway to begin their scavenge throughout the academy/prison.

"Yeah Naegi-san, I still can't wrap my head around how your friend did that. I swear, it was like I blinked and in a split sec-no, _less_ than a split second and he grabbed Owada's arm," Asahina added.

Makoto scratched his head. "To be quite honest, I was freaked out myself. Despite the fact that I was short from going to sleep, I didn't expect him to move that fast." He shrugged his shoulders as he glanced at the swimmer.

"It's a good thing he stopped Owada. I don't know what would've happened if Katakuri hadn't reacted in time to stop him from hurting you." Sayaka's face then turned into a frown from the thought of Naegi knocked out over a temper tantrum. "That biker and the gangster needs to check themselves of their anger issues."

"Yes, their actions were thoughtless and brash, but yet they were reacting quite understandably to Togami's arrogant comments about their reputations. Regardless of who's fault is it, that wasn't the time to start butting each other's heads over something so trivial," Sakura replied with her arms folded as she walked besides Asahina.

"No kidding, those brutes should've known better than to talk to that Togami," Junko scoffed while checking her nails for any blemishes. "Like your redhead friend said Eggy, we have like more important things to do than to yell like a bunch of dogs."

Junko Enoshima became the last member to join Makoto's group after they found her standing around checking her nails in the gym. Figured that no one approached her, the ahoge boy figured he would ask the fashionista to join them, despite her diva attitude. Unknown to Makoto, Junko was surprised that he would approach her without a second thought or hesitation. Quite honestly, she would've been fine if she scoured the academy on her own, but the fact that Naegi came to her and ask for her help, for some reason even she don't know it, she found him to be a very approachable person.

* * *

 _Eleven minutes ago in the gym_

 _Mukuro stood idly by herself as she watched everyone starting to arrange their groups to begin their search throughout the academy. She watched as students greet each other, asking for each other's help, or reluctantly agree to be a part of their group, and preparing themselves for their ventures. Despite everything that had happened when Naegi's monstrous friend was here, Mukuro still hoped that everything will go smoothly regardless of the fact that Katakuri was here._

 _But even then, she had a few moments of doubt. Mukuro is no slowpoke, she saw how frightening Katakuri can be. She saw it herself that the giant was capable of displaying nightmarish levels of power and speed. The moment when Katakuri appeared for the first time out of his scarf, she felt like an ant facing a lion. The man outclassed her so much, it's not even funny._

 _The disguised girl still remembered the sickening feeling of fear and despair she felt when she stared and gawked at his titanic height and gnarly appearance. The way he drilled his eyes into her very soul, daring her to even think of defying him...it was hellish. That experience, dare she say, outclassed the experiences when Junko hit her to make her feel the embrace of despair. Though this time, Mukuro didn't felt the temporary thrill of ecstasy, she experienced a nightmare, and it was not pleasant._

 _Despite of, she still had to retain her position. To be frank, Mukuro want her role to be over with. Playing as her sister is tiring, she has to be overdramatic and flair all the time, which is not what she does. Hopefully, her role would be finished and she would be gone from the eyes of the students._

 _Before she continued her inner thoughts, her mind was snapped by a voice calling her name. "Hey Junko."_

 _The disguised girl turned her head and saw the boy, Makoto Naegi and his group of four others standing in front of her. The ahoge boy still has his trademark smile on his face, so simple...yet so welcoming. Why does she feel that why? Why does his smile differ from his sister's, which she could see is nothing short of hollow and fake._

 _"Yes, what is it?" she asked in her 'Junko' tone._

 _"We saw that you're standing here all by yourself. And we was just wondering that would you like to join our group?" Makoto offered with a warm smile._

 _Junko tilted her head and raised an eyebrow in confusion from the boy's request to join him and his team. "Why ask me? I'm a fashionista, what could I bring to your team Egg boy?"_

 _The boy chuckled a bit at the nickname he was given, but he pressed on. "We're not asking for a specific talent or anything. We just don't want you to be all by yourself. We'll accomplish a lot more together, we have to be there for each other right?"_

 _Mukuro blinked owlishly at the boy's response to her question. The reason why he wanted her to join them is to help each other and achieve more as a team? As silly and cheesy as it sounds, she couldn't deny the genuinity in the gesture. She continued to stare at the boy and his team. As two of them stared at her blankly, the other two girls offered smiles of their own, beaming along with Makoto's._

 _At first, she was about to refuse his offer, but the girl couldn't help but feel a bit welcomed by the boy instead of the fake and transparent welcome her sister always give to her, which usually ends with a blank expression or a kick or two. Mukuro completely forgot about her train of thought on the situation at hand. She forgot about her thoughts about her role in the game. And she clearly forgot her fear from Katakuri's presence. All there is in her mind is the smiling Makoto's offer for her to join her team._

 _Then, with a small smile disguised as her sister's sly smile, she gave the boy her answer._

* * *

 _Back to the present_

"Well, I'm just glad he's managed to stop him. Darn that Owada, I really want to slug him right now," Asahina huffed as she folded her arms.

Sayaka offered a smile. "Believe me, I know how it feels. But Katakuri did managed to stop him from throwing everyone else out of their wits concerning our problem. And I'm pretty sure Makoto would be upset if we retaliated."

Makoto turned to the swimmer with a sympathetic smile. "Exactly. I'm alright, Asahina. I'm just thankful that Katakuri-san ceased the situation from escalating any further. Who knows what would happen if Owada did land one on me. So it wouldn't help if we continue to dwell on it."

The swimmer smiled fondly as she realized the reasoning behind their explanations, there's no use dwelling on into it. "Yeah, I guess you're right. You're that kind of guy, Naegi."

"And besides, I'll consider that close call as an exercise," Makoto grinned.

 _'Junko'_ who's walking near Sakura smiled faintly. "I don't know about that, Eggy. Seems like that junk is going to be more hectic."

"Indeed, though I hope that in the future, these 'exercises' wouldn't be necessary," Kibo added with a slight frown.

"Even if that's the case, we all have to consider Katakuri's warning. As long as we stay vigilant and keep our heads clear, we'll be able to stop any more villainy from occurring," Sakura offered quietly.

Makoto nodded as he remembered of Katakuri's words after Monokuma laid down the doomsday before he disappeared. They can't let the situation get to them like how Mondo and Fuyuhiko lost control over Togami's arrogant words, which is exactly what the bear wanted out of them: discord and suspicion towards one another. They have to stick together if they have any better chance of getting out of this place in one piece.

"She's right. We have to stay together and keep our heads from getting controlled by hopelessness and panic. Since the two places we've spent the most time are the gym and hallway, we should start looking around more. We need to get a better grasp on where we are and the whereabouts of the other locations in the building," Makoto said with a determined look.

The fashionista smiled. "Well then, what are we waiting for? Lead the way, Eggy. No reason for us wandering around the halls like lost ducks."

Asahina nodded as she stared down at the end of the hallway they're venturing in. "Yeah, no sense in just spinning our wheels in the same spot. Who knows, we might just find a way out of this mess."

"I agree, a fine way of looking at it." Kibo smiled lightly.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Maizono giggled, as she too perked up as she followed the group.

Sakura wordlessly followed the group as only Junko stopped walking and stood still. Her gaze lingering on the group with the ahoge boy leading the way. A twinge of genuine happiness touched her face as she gazed at his determined face, smiling so optimistically despite the gruesome and dark predicament they are in. She continued to gaze at the group before she quietly followed them to wherever they find in the academy.

* * *

 **Day One**

 **First Floor**

 **Giftshop**

 **1:05 p.m.**

"Eh, I can't reach it."

Himiko found a small giftshop during her search in. The petite redhead found a staff that was mounted and her face beamed from ear to ear. If she could get her hands on that staff, she could increase her mana channeling. And hopefully, if she can find him, she'll ask Katakuri to help her how to increase her mana channeling without having to rely on objects such as staffs or cards or enchantments. She don't know, but if you look past his scary appearance and his serious behavior, Katakuri can be quite an agreeable and approachable guy, as long as you're on his good side.

Now, if only she was taller.

"Himiko?" Kaede called out, as she and Nagito saw the magician left the gym and gone to go after her. The duo reached the hallway and ventured in search for the redhead. The strawberry blonde began to grow a bit worried as they were supposed to stick together and not get lost in the vast school. "I hope she's not gone too far."

Nagito mused softly as the pair continued to search for her. "I did try to warn you about my luck."

Kaede rolled her eyes before she playfully elbowed the white haired teen. "Stop relying all good or bad things on luck, Nagito. You're not bad luck."

The boy chuckled. "Sorry Kaede, I didn't to make you be exasperated. I was just telling you the truth, coming anywhere near me would result into some unfortunate circumstances. To be honest, I'm still honored that you would come to me out of all people that are not cursed by lady luck."

"Still though, that doesn't mean you're the plague. Not everything happens because of coincidence. And besides, Himiko probably got excited for some reason and I'm just making sure that no one gets left out, including you."

Nagito blinked as he stared at the girl who looked at him with a serious yet playful expression. He still couldn't grasp on the reason why Kaede would want him to be in her growing group despite knowing of his history concerning his talent. He could still replay the meeting when she first talked to him in the gym on wanting him to join her.

* * *

 _Back in the gym_

 _The gym was far less packed now before, but there were still a large majority of students in the room. Most were already in the process of forming groups, a few were still talking among themselves, and like one or two had already ventured off on their own. Kaede paused her train of thought momentarily as she spotted a white haired boy sitting all alone near the bleachers. He was sitting Indian style as he stared silently across the gym._

 _"Hey you, Nagito right?" the pianist asked softly._

 _The boy snapped from his gaze and turned his attention at her, a look of curiosity fitting his eyes. "Huh, no one has ever talked to me before. I thought it was perhaps my luck that had made me unapproachable...yet still, I advise you keep your distance from me. My luck is either incredibly fortunate or cruel. People who get close to me, they don't usually have a good end," he mused._

 _"Your talent did all that? What happened?" she asked as she slowly sat down next to him._

 _Nagito offered a thin smile as he chuckled dryly. "Forgive me if you're skeptic, even though luck is not my talent, it is very real."_

 _"Oh? Try me, I'm listening." Kaede said with a serious expression._

 _"When I was little, my pet dog was killed by a speeding truck. I never took thought of that too much, I thought it was just a horrible accident, an extremely terrible time. But little did I know, that was only the first of many things in my life controlled by good and bad luck. A few years later, my family took us to San Cristobal Island at the Galapagos. After our vacation was over, we took an airplane to head back home." Nagito let out a short yet shuddering sigh as he pressed on._

 _"However, little did we know, a terrorist hijacked the airplane. Next moment later, the terrorist and my parents were killed by a small meteor. I was the only living person left to inherit my parents' fortune since there was no other living relatives to inherit it. In middle school, I was kidnapped by a ruthless serial killer. Usually he kill his victims, but he left me alive hoping for anyone to pay a ransom he held above my head. I thought I was gonna die when he kept holding that gun or knife at my head and neck. Thankfully, he let me go after he realized that no one was going to pay the ransom. Then, as a form of good luck, I found a lottery ticket in the garbage bag he kidnapped me with. The ticket was the winning ticket for three million."_

 _Kaede stared at the boy with an aghast expression as she took in Nagito's terrible childhood. "T-That's...wow...I'm so so sorry Nagito. I can never imagine how it must feel."_

 _"The duality between good and bad luck had followed me my entire life. It's simply better than to let it be and let all that approach me be kept at a distance. Besides, you don't want to sully your hope by my presence." he offered her with a sincere smile._

 _"No."_

 _Nagito blinked as she extended her towards him. "What?"_

 _"No, I'm not going to let you be all lone. You're joining us." she said as she gave him a warm smile._

 _The boy tilted his head slightly. "But my luck-"_

 _"But that doesn't give you a reason to stop letting it dominate your life, good or bad. Part of having hope is to create your own luck, don't let terrible situations make you think otherwise. Least that's what I think." She stood up and straightened her skirt. "Gonna make a girl beg, huh? You're just like Shuichi." she mused softly at him._

 _Nagito shook his head slightly as he reached up and took her hand in his. "I still think it's a bad idea, but if you insist."_

 _"Yeah, I do. Let's see what kind of luck you're having right now." she smirked. She turned around and spotted Himiko walking out of the gym. "And I think we spotted a new teammate."_

* * *

 _Back to the present_

"That's what friends do right? Be there for each other, despite their differences." Kaede called out, pulling Nagito out of his trip from memory lane. The boy turned back to the girl as they continued their search for Himiko.

Nagito tilted his head. "Friend? You consider me a friend, even though you know of my good and bad cycle?" he asked with a slightly surprised expression.

The pianist smiled in response. "Yep, you could bet on that Nagito. No one deserves to be all by themselves. Now, shall we continue our search for Himiko?" she asked.

The white haired boy let out a slight chuckle. "Be my guest, Kaede." The pair continued to venture off into the hallway in search for Himiko.

Meanwhile at the giftshop, the petite magician still struggled as she tried to grab the staff. The staff has a distinct shape with the top of it shaped like a heart, with a ruby resting in the center, with the entire staff pink in color.

The girl let out a small pout as she tried jumping to reach the staff but to no avail. She tried to reach above the counter to reach it but still, nothing. Himiko began to grow a little frustrated that she had to put in work to get the staff, but she must acquire the staff if she wants her mana and magick to get stronger.

"Eh, who put that staff in there? If only I could find the one responsible, I would turn him or her into a frog for making me do this much work. Oh, I wish I have some Monokuma coins and some height so I can get it." Himiko moaned as she leaned against one of the counters.

"Don't mind if I lend you a hand?"

Himiko turned around and let out a small gasp as she stared at the newcomer who startled her. She couldn't contain her surprise as she stared at the person who offered her help. "Y-You...what are you d-doing here?" she asked with a shocked tone.

"Well, I was busy doing my search myself and I just heard your squeals of happiness and I headed to where you were at. I didn't expect this place to have a little shop that has these items."

Himiko let out a small giggle as she's slightly embarrassed that the person heard her as she found a staff that'll help her. She never expected to run into him out of all people in the academy to meet her after a while.

The person looked at the staff and at the slot. "Hmm, I take it that the machine requires money to get it?"

The girl wilted slightly. "Yeah, sadly I don't have any Monokuma coins to get it. Even if I do, I still won't be able to reach it, I'm way too short." The person let out a raised eyebrow at the sound of the currency.

"Monokuma coins, you mean these things?" The newcomer reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of bizarre looking coins with the faces of the bear on it.

Himiko's eyes widened in surprise. "Y-Yeah, those are Monokuma coins! Where in the world did you find all of that?"

The person offered a dismissive shrug. "For some reason when I was first woke up, I felt a little heaviness in my pocket. I thought it would be my candy but they aren't that heavy. I took a good look at them, and at first I would get rid of them since I have no need for currency. But since this place has locations like these, I kept these things to be on the safe side in case I need to use these...odd currencies for any important."

"Wow, a-are you really gonna spend them to help me get my staff? I thought you would be more concerned about yourself?" Himiko said.

"Just because I'm not the kind of person to socialize, doesn't mean I would disregard all of you." The person replied as he inserted several coins into the machine, before the case containing the staff popped open. The person reached and grasped it before holding it down to Himiko. "And besides, you are one of the few exceptions of kids I could be around, along with Makoto and that Akane, sort of. I believe this belongs to you."

Himiko's eyes were bright, as she reached out and clasped her hands around it. She hopped like an energetic rabbit as she danced with the staff a bit in excitement. "Yayyy! Now, I can finally be able to harness my mana! Thank you so so much! And as a sign of my thanks, I will never think about turning you into anything." The girl then let out a huff. "However, I cannot say the same for Hiro."

The person let out a small chuckle. "You're most welcome, Himiko. I hope that staff will help you in your endeavors?" the person asked.

Himiko grinned from ear to ear. "You know it, now I can be able to summon familiars to aid and protect us all. Do you need a familiar for your search?"

The newcomer let out another chuckle. "Thank you, but I'll be fine on my own for now. Whenever the time comes when we're all familiar with the place, I would consider coming to you to help you with your mana."

If the magician could not get any more jubilant, the person's offer sent her to the moon. She couldn't let out a shout of excitement as stars appeared in her eyes. "Y-You really mean it? You're gonna help me channel my mana just like you?!" she asked excitedly.

A nod was her answer. "I give you my promise."

Himiko's eyes glowed with unbridled giddiness and enthusiasm. "Hehehe, thank you so much big bro."

The person's eyes widened a bit when he heard the nickname. He never expected her to call him big brother. It quite honestly nearly made him reel back a bit, he was quite expecting her to be a little bit wary of him, but like Makoto, she welcomed him with open arms. He continued to stare at the smiling girl in stunned silence from the nickname.

"You don't mind if I call you big bro?" Himiko asked innocently.

The person closed his eyes to shake off the surprise as he looked at her with a gentle expression. "You're more than welcome to call me that." He don't know, but something about the nickname rang a little bell in his head. The way she called him that reminded him of a certain someone, or people in that matter.

"Thank you, big bro." she thanked again with her face filled with happiness.

The person let out a hum as he turned his attention to the entrance of the giftshop. He let out a curious huh as he turned back to the girl who stared at him in confusion. "It would seems that you have a few people to help you in your school search, that Kaede girl and the strange Nagito are coming here. You wouldn't mind if they offered you a spot to join their team?"

Himiko's head gave a small tilt. "But, wouldn't it be better if you come along with me? I have all the time in the world for your assistance." she offered cutely.

The person chuckled. "True, but like I said. I'm not much of a socialite, people are still wary of me, they saw what I was capable of back in the gym. And besides, it's pretty dangerous for someone like you to run off on your own. You need people that are more approachable than me."

Himiko let out a small pout as she knew that the person was right. Right now is not the appropriate time to start talking or interacting with the students yet, they are still cautious of him. Right now, she and everyone else needs to focus on leaving this nightmare and out of that demented bear's clutches. But the girl encouraged herself as she realized she now possessed the staff she needed to increase her magic abilities and surpass her limits to protect her and everyone else if Monokuma tries anything funny.

The girl turned around and heard footsteps approaching the entrance and a girl's voice calling out her name with a boy along with. They must be Kaede and Nagito, like he said. Himiko then turn around back to the newcomer. "Hey, how would-"

Himiko's eyes widened when she saw that the next few seconds she turned around, the person had already left. She never heard his footsteps or anything, she couldn't even hear his signature rattling his feet make when he walk. No, he straight up disappeared. The magician frantically darted her eyes side to side, searching each and every inch of the shop but all she found was air. The person somehow vanished when she turned around and noticed the pair's approaching steps. Himiko was shocked that someone like him would be able to disappear while she had her back turned to him for a few seconds. Like, one second he was there, and then the next...poof!

Not even the great Houdini could disappear that fast and untraceable.

Kaede and Nagito walked by the entrance of the giftshop and spotted the confused magician. Kaede's concerned expression left and in turn was a relieved smile. "Hey, there you are Himiko!"

The magician didn't responded as she's still trying to grasp on as to how her brother disappeared like that. Himiko's eyes remained focus on the empty spot where he was.

"Hello, Earth to Himiko!" Kaede called out.

"Nyeh?" The petitie girl pivoted slightly as she looked at the pair. "Oh, sorry I was distracted. I saw a small shop in this place and found this staff that'll help increase my mana abilities." She gestured by showing the duo the pink staff.

Kaede blinked. "Mana? Magic isn't real though, isn't it? You're talent is the **Ultimate Magician** , don't you do is to show elaborate magic tricks?"

The magician puffed her cheeks out. "I'm known as a magician, but all of that is just a cover-up. I'm actually...a mage. A group trying to hide magic's existence by disguising them from the world as simple tricks. Because of this, I am known to be the greatest magician in the world by performing breathtaking magic tricks. But...I am not...a magician. I'm a mage. It's just that no one believes me."

The pianist was about to protest when Nagito walked up and pointed at the empty spot in the machine where the staff was. "Himiko? How did you acquire the staff? The machine requires Monokuma coins if I recall and that shelf was too high for you to grab it if you put money in it."

Himiko's annoyed countenance was replaced with a happy expression. She was about to tell the duo about the person who came in and helped and talked with her, but she managed to stay her tongue because she remembered the reason why the man didn't want to meet any of the students yet. Even though he should give it a chance, the girl still wants to respect his wishes to remain alone until the students feel comfortable around him and he be the same. So, even though it stings a bit, Himiko came up with a little fib.

"A true mage never reveals their secrets. I am capable of so much power. With this staff, I will finally unlock my true potential!" Himiko proclaimed dramatically. The duo looked at each other. Even if they have some skeptics as to how Himiko acquired the staff, they decide to let it go. They have more important things to do.

Kaede turned back to the girl. "Would you like to join our group, Himiko? It's better that we all stick together and not leave another one behind." Kaede grinned at the petite redhead.

Himiko tilted her head cutely as an impish smile formed her features. "Hmmm, sure you can count on me. Just don't expect me to do any rezzes kay? I'm not a white mage."

She walked to the pair and the newly formed trio walked out of the giftshop and ventured off into the depths of the academy. Meanwhile, beside the entrance of the giftshop, a figure watched as the trio walked nearly out of sight. The figure chuckled lightly as it saw the trio finally out of its line of sight. Then, the figure walked away and headed off to continue its business and entered back into the hallway.

The reason why the figure watched the trio? No one was to know it was him who helped Himiko to get the staff. No one wants to hear his spurs rattling in the echoing halls.

No one was to know that Charlotte Katakuri came across and interacted with Himiko Yumeno.

* * *

 **Day One**

 **First Floor**

 **Hallway**

 **1:25 p.m**

Kyoko's eyes narrowed slightly, as she came to a stop in front of a locked door. It was the third time she came across such a door she discovered so far in her search. The lavender scrutinized her E-book closely. The first floor is massive in scale.

The dormitory section was divided into east and west wings. The east contains the girls' dormitories while the west contains the boys'. During her search, she also discovered a large dining hall that was spacious enough to house over a hundred people, definitely another place for mass meetings if the gym grows repetitive. It also stores enough food that will last up for a year or two, it's enough storage for an entire army.

She also found a large laundry area, containing multiple washers, dryers, and numerous hampers. There was a large incinerator in an A.V room that was only accessible during curfew. Then of course, there are the three mysterious doors. The first one was labeled on the handbook as Trial Access. The other two were denoted with lock symbols and question marks. They may be leading to upper floors of the academy.

"I see you've made note of the sealed rooms as well." A voice said, causing Kyoko to tense as she turned to see Maki standing only a few feet away with her arms folded.

 _'How did she managed to get so close to me without me noticing? Was I really that distracted?'_ Kyoko frowned slightly at the short moment of weakness before she straightened out and flipped her handbook off. "Indeed. I can only safely assume that these areas aren't yet accessible."

"Exactly, key word: yet. Perhaps out captor made those areas unavailable unless something happens. No doubt it'll be some kind of twisted reward for our survival." The brunetter mused monotonously.

Kyoko frowned slightly. "It wouldn't surprise me, to say the least. Didn't that giant said that it'll be better if all of us cooperate with each other to make our searches more fruitful in this situation?"

"What good does his word does to you, if you're also ventured off on your own like you are now?" Maki offered with a raised eyebrow.

Kyoko let out a mirthless chuckle. "Ah, you got me there. I guess old habits die hard, perhaps I'm just banking on the hope that the situation won't resolve horrendously."

Maki unfolded her arms. "But still, even with a person of your smarts, you and I know that all the good won't stop the inevitable. It won't be long before someone cracks under the pressure and a person's life would be taken with the first blood spilt." She replied gravely.

* * *

 **Day One**

 **First Floor**

 **Hallway**

 **1:47 p.m**

"Dammit, that Maki always want to go on her own. When will she lighten up?" Kaito frowned as he grew annoyed from the caregiver's lone wolf attitude. The astronaut tried to offer her to join his group for their search but likewise, she refused, calling socializing 'distractions.' The purple hair boy let out a long sigh to relieve him of her frustrating attitude.

"Great, now what?" he asked to no one in particular.

"Ummm, Kaito right?" An unsure voice called out from behind, causing Kaito to turn around.

Momota stared at the boy a moment, before his annoyed expression instantly changed to one of recognition. "Yo Shuichi, what's shaking? Surprised to see you not glued to Kaede's side. Not that I blame you for that." he grinned as he folded his arms across his chest.

The detective in training offered a sheepish smile. "Well, Kaede is trying to keep everyone's spirits high. And between Monokuma's bombshell, Mondo nearly attacking Makoto...and Katakuri's presence...everyone is a little out of it."

Kaito smiled slightly as he rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, that would be it man. I didn't expect that freaky dude to stop Mondo. He came out of freaking nowhere, and we just saw him withstand a goddamn machine gun without so much of a graze _and_ destroy the gun with a piece of candy! Whoever or whatever Makoto's new friend is, he's definitely out of this world." he exclaimed as he's still shook from Katakuri's actions.

Shuichi nodded slightly as his features grew nervous. "Exactly. It was like he moved faster than a blink of an eye. He's clearly out of our league, by leaps and bounds. And even more shocked that he stood up to Monokuma where all of us were too terrified to face him."

The astronaut sighed. "Yeah, no kidding. He have more balls than all of us combined. He certainly knows how to lead all of us without losing his cool. And what the hell, if he can stand up to that sicko's game, then so can we!" Kaito let out a smirk as he clasped his arm around the boy's shoulders. "If you're here to ask me to join your group, then consider me signed up! I am more than eager to be the group's leader. Hey, you can be my sidekick Saihara." The boy grinned as he offered Shuichi a thumbs up.

Shuichi sweat dropped. "Hey, come on, it was Kaede's idea. And besides, isn't Maki a more capable leader?"

Kaito shrugged. "She's always so damn stubborn. But don't worry, she'll come around eventually. But don't worry, your good ol' buddy Kaito is here to help you out."

"W-What are you talking about? H-Help me out, for what?" the young detective stammered slightly, as Kaito guided him to the dining hall.

"Don't be modest, Saihara. I can see it on your face."

Shuichi let out an exasperated sigh. _'Perhaps I should've stayed with Kaede, she's definitely a better talker than me.'_ he mused glumly.

* * *

 **Day One**

 **First Floor**

 **A.V Room**

 **2:19 p.m**

"Goddamn it, how's a gorgeous, drop-dead sexy girl such as myself suppose to work under these conditions?!" Miu growled as she glared at one of the computer screens in the A.V room. "I swear to God, these things are more ancient than a fucking dinosaur." she scowled as she bit her thumb.

"Ummm...excuse me." A soft voice caused the blonde to nearly jump out of her seat as she turned around and saw Chihiro standing next to Mahiru, Hajime besides Chiaki who's still focusing on her game, and Mikan who like Chihiro, stood there timidly with her poking her fingers.

"Goddammit, don't fucking do that." she hissed as she recomposed herself as she stood up from her chair.

Mahiru's eyes narrowed at the buxom blonde's vulgar attitude and brash response to the programmer. Already she doesn't like the blonde. Hajime shook his head slightly at the display as he began to regret finding this girl instead of Kyoko, who somehow left before he even had the chance to meet her.

 _'Oh Kyoko, you would've been a better addition to the group. Well, I suppose I can't complain,'_ the boy mused to himself glumly.

Fujisaki looked at the blonde sheepishly. "O-Oh, I'm sorry, we were just on our way to find another person to join our group. Sadly the one we need left before we had the chance. S-So, we're just wondering-"

"So you were just wondering that y'all can add me as a fucking spare? Me, the great and wonderful Miu Iruma?" the inventor scowled, causing Chihiro to flinch slightly at the accusation. Mahiru's frown deepen as she glared at the rude inventor. All they want is to find someone else to join their team to make a complete six. There's no reason for this girl to act like a total bitch.

Miu's scowl then formed into a teasing smirk. "Haha, I'm just fucking with you tater tots. Why else would y'all pansies come and ask Miu-sama for her favor to join your little gang?"

The photographer had enough and stood in front of the vulgar girl. "Hey now, you need to lay off and cut the damn attitude, Miu. Fuji just want to ask you that you can join us."

The blonde's brash and vulgar demeanor slipped, as she nervously bit her lip and twirl her hair as she stared shamefully at the angry photographer. "I-I'm sorry, p-please don't be mad at me."

Hajime stood there quietly for a moment before he decides to finally speak. "Hey now Mahiru, there's no need to be like that. Sure, she's...strange and rather rude, but we can't be mad just by a person's quirky personality."

Chihiro remained quietly before she mustered up the courage to speak for Miu. "H-He's right. We can't be mean to people who were just being their own person. And besides..." she turned to the still nervous Miu. "You're here because you're doing something with the computers, right? I was just thinking we shouldn't do this in the middle of the day right now. I-I mean, who ever is behind Monokuma has to sleep sometime right?"

Miu's bold attitude came back as she allowed a wicked grin to form her features. "You're goddamn right. Damn, no wonder you're the **Ultimate Programmer**. With my brilliant mind and your...decent one, we'll be running this shithole in no time! So, I guess I'm a part of your club now?"

"Well, we were about to let you join, but maybe we'll reconsider because of your foul attitude. We simply cannot let someone as rude and obscene as you be in our group," Mahiru scowled as she planted her hands on her hips, as she stared ruefully at the inventor who's sailor attitude instantly crumbled under her glare.

"O-Of course you wouldn't," she murmured as she darted her eyes to avoid the photographer's glare.

Hinata walked up and stood next to Mahiru. "Come on Mahiru. I know she's harsh and thinks fully of herself, but we can't judge her solely based on that attitude. And besides, we need all the help we can get."

Fujisaki bit her lower lip a moment. "Yeah, I-I mean...for all we know, her attitude may be just a mask. Like, I know how it feels to pretend something you're not, so can we just stop being so mean to her and give her a chance? It wouldn't hurt to try."

The blonde was taken back as the programmer. Sure, she was surprised at how Hajime stood up for her, but the real kicker was how the shy and meek programmer Fujisaki defend her against Mahiru's unfair judgment of her behavior. She's surely wasn't used to people standing up for her, it left her with a strange feeling.

Mahiru stared at Fujisaki in a moment of silence in surprise. "B-but what do you mean Fuji?" The photographer stared at the inventor before letting out an exasperated sigh. "Fine, you're right Fujisaki. I guess you can come with us if you want."

A bit of Miu's old spunk returned as she offered a smirk as she planted her hands on her hips. "Heh, I'll need some time to think about it. So long infidels." She offered nothing else as she walked past the group before she ruffled Fujisaki's hair and slapped the back of Hajime's neck, which annoyed the boy.

No sooner had the door of the A.V room shut, that Mahiru let out a low growl as she glared at the door where the inventor had walked out of. "I can't believe her. Even when I invited her, she still acted like she's got her head up her ass."

Hajime shook his head. "Well, I can't deny it. She's gonna be a tough one to get along. But it could be worse, we could be asking Togami or Fuyuhiko." The boy's joke ease the tension in the room a bit as Mahiru's expression lightened a tiny bit from it.

Chihiro offered a soft smile. "That's right. And besides, I bet she doesn't know how to talk to people. I bet she's a really nice person if you look past her rough exterior."

Mikan let out a little squeak after being quiet for so long. "S-S-She m-may be mean and a b-b-bit rude...but I a-agree that she's a good p-p-person to g-get along...I-I think." she squeaked as she rubbed the floor with her feet.

The photographer sighed softly. "Yeah, I guess.

* * *

 **Day One**

 **First Floor**

 **Hallway**

 **2:49 p.m**

Katakuri walked down the halls after founding the dining hall, more dormitories, and bathrooms. Wandering around in the monotonous purple halls is making the giant grew irritated. Despite the fact that he has none of those electronic handbooks that the students had, but he didn't had the chance to look at the locations of the place when he had Makoto's handbook. But he can't complain, he'll do his best to learn the place by experience.

As he continued his trek down the hall, his eyebrows raised as he came across something that finally piqued his interest. He found a flight of stairs. His hunch was correct, this building definitely has other areas above, in other words, upper floors. The only downside: the stairs that lead to the second floor is blocked by a horizontal security gate.

Katakuri marched up the security gate and peered through see the other floors. The sight of the blocked entrance to the other gates irked him. He needs to know his bearings around this building and the world he's in. This place definitely has a library that contains books, no doubt history books he can read to learn more of the world he's in.

The crimsonhead can tell that the gate is no doubt a symbol of earned access, a feature in the demented bear's twisted game serving as some kind of reward. The gate is locked and appears to be remote controlled. Katakuri can easily bypass the security gate and continue his roam in the building but he came across some binds.

The first problem is his powers. While he can still be able to morph his body and use his future sight, anything else above them will weaken him further and strain his body, furthering putting him at risk to slipping into unconsciousness. The sharp pang at his side serves as a reminder, so doing that is out of the picture.

The second is definitely the one he needs to watch out for: putting the lives of the kids at risk. Yes, kids. He's triple their age. Katakuri can easily handle the rejected stuffed bear, he faced people more crazy than him. The problem is that if he does any harm to him or his properties, the bear will more of his execution devices to slaughter the students.

The giant doesn't hate them nor does he like them, with a slight exceptions with Makoto and Himiko, but he's not too attached to them, he can handle them. He's neutral to all of them, but just because he's not attached to all of them doesn't mean that he disregard their lives. If he does anything towards Monokuma and his devices, then he'll be powerless to stop the bear from murdering the students in one go if he break the rules. So he has to stay his hand, for now at least.

Katakuri closed his eyes as he decided to do nothing concerning advancing to the upper floors. "No doubt this serves as a problem if I break in. Despite me not attached to them, I cannot throw their lives away, that's just not my cup of tea." The giant's relaxed expression turned sharp as his eyebrows arched, making the veins on his forehead more pronounced. "You might as well slither out of here, Monokuma, no use of playing ghost." he called out sternly.

 _ **"Oh poo, you're no fun at all Katakuri."**_ A high-pitched voice called out teasingly. Lo and behold, the right side of the hallway walls shifted open and popped out is the mechanical, two-toned, psychopathic headmaster of the academy Monokuma. The bear waddled to the giant with his paws at his sides. _**"And you're right, I also agree on that. It seems there's more in you than the typical, silent type, I-don't-associate-with-anyone attitude. It's actually quite cute that you care just enough of these kiddos lives that you wouldn't toss to the wayside."**_

Katakuri turned around and looked down at the bear. "Cut the shtick, I don't have to time to waste my breath on you. Tell me the real reason you're here."

Monokuma sighed as he scratched his head. _**"Tch, talk about killjoy, you're an absolute stinker, just killed it dead. Like shooting an annoying dancing puppy."**_ The bear twirled around further annoying the giant. _**"But anyhoo, let's get straight to business. You and I both know that you have the power to kill me and save these kiddos, but something is stopping you from taking me out. I may not know what it is yet, but I'll find out ways I can exploit it, a little leash I can have on you to keep you in line."**_ Monokuma stated as his red eye glowed.

The giant folded his arms as he glared at the sneering bear. "Whatever dirt you're trying to have on me, I won't let it deter me from finding you. Like I said, I'm not one to be following orders from something that a two-year-old would throw in the trash."

Monokuma's smug demeanor shifted slightly from the insult. He still hates being labeled as a stuffed bear. _**"Tch, I'll let that slip-up slide...for now. But don't try to dodge the obvious, Katty. Don't mind if I call you Katty, what the heck, from here on in, I'm calling you Katty!"**_ Katakuri held his frown from deepening under the scarf from the demeaning nickname the bear gave him. _**"Anyways Katty, whatever is going through your head right now, consider yourself correct! The upper floors of the academy will only be accessed after a class trial."**_

"Class trial?"

 _ **"Yepperooni! And to give you a little recall, a class trial will happen if someone were to spill someone else's blood on the floors of the academy and three people finds the body and the countdown of gathering evidence ends and the identification of the killer will ensue with tons of finger pointing and mistrustful gazes!"**_ Monokuma's face then turned to one filled of pleasure. _**"Oooh, just thinking about watching these chums be at each other's throats, pointing the finger, figuring out who killed their buddies, and leading the killer to an early grave or risking themselves all dead except the guilty one tingles my spine in quivering excitement!~"**_

Katakuri's eyes narrowed as he watched the twisted bear rambling on his disgusting, perverse kick on watching the students tear each other apart with lies, murder, and suspicion. _'Just as expected, if Doflamingo and Caesar Clown has a kid and that kid gets thrown away, this bear and whoever's controlling it definitely fits the bill,'_ the giant scowled to himself.

"And remember what I said, I would not let you get your kicks by watching the madness. I will do everything I can to not let a single person in this building lose their life in your terrible game." Katakuri retorted with a warning edge in his tone.

Monokuma snapped himself out of his stupor and turned back to the giant with a wicked grin that plastered his features. _**"Oh? You really are going to save these brats from distrusting each other and slaughter each other to get their chance of freedom? Don't kid me Katty, we all know it's only a matter of time until the first blood will drop and the first class trial will commence. Only then you will gain whatever information you need on this place, because between you and me, even someone like you cannot deny the inevitable...no matter how hard you try."**_

Katakuri stood silently as he heard Monokuma's painful yet truthful words. As much it frustrated him, he cannot do anything about stopping anyone from killing someone. Right before he rebutted, the bear spoke up. _**"And besides, since you're already coming to terms with the situation, I decide to give you a little gift out of my warm beary heart. Here you go!"**_ From the ceiling, a tile slid open and falling from the open space is an electric handbook. The giant held his hand and grabbed the device. He ignored looking into the device as he continued to glare at the two-tone bear.

 _ **"Tada! Your very own E-handbook! A bit tricky to lay down the basic info of you, your height, color, and whatnot. Still a bit bummed out that I couldn't find anything else on you, but what the heck? It's not like it matter anyways. Well, toodle-loo Katty!"**_ Monokuma cheered as he turned around and walked to the same wall he appeared from. But right before he does, he turned back to the giant with an even more evil grin as his red eye glows and glares at Katakuri.

 _ **"You can't deny the truth, Katakuri. No matter how strong, fast, or weird you are...ain't nothing's gonna stop these kiddos from having their minds slip into the hopelessness of the situation and having to resolve into shedding some blood to spare themselves from spending the rest of their lives in this place. And I hope you keep your word from not laying your hands on me or my property. Because if you do...well, you know what happens."**_ Monokuma said ominously.

"..."

 _ **"Well anyways, enjoy your new E-handbook! And have a nice journey, I hope we'll meet again soon Katty! Upupupupupu!"**_ Monokuma laughed as he stood by the wall on his back and in the next second, the wall flipped and the demented bear is gone, leaving the smoldering giant as the only person in the hallway, leaving the place in silence. But nobody could deny the thick, choking tension that the conversation between Katakuri and Monokuma left.

The giant glared at the spot where the bear was. His eyes darkened and his forehead pulsed in cold fury as he could not find any flaw in Monokuma's words. No matter how much he loathed an despised his words, he cannot deny the logic behind the warning. He cannot run the risk of putting everyone's lives, especially Makoto's and Himiko's in danger over of destroying this bear and finding and ridding the mastermind. He cannot deny that someone will finally snap under the pressure of the situation and find their first victim and murder them in whatever gruesome way they can imagine. And most importantly, he cannot deny that he's not strong enough of protecting every single one of them with his weakened powers.

But those reasons are still not enough to deter the giant from finding his answers on ending this sick and twisted game. So Katakuri looked down at his device and put it up in his pocket and walked away from the security gate to head for another area of the first floor he can find.

He needs time to cool off before he can find Makoto.

 _End of chapter_

* * *

 _ **Wow, talk about intense. I guess it seems that Monokuma is smarter than he looks. And before a whole lot of you come at me with pitchforks and torches, I have a few things to point out.**_

 _ **Yes, Katakuri can easily destroy Monokuma, kill the mastermind, and free the students and leave the place, but where would he go if he finds out the world he's in is not the One Piece world. How would he able to head back without gathering any knowledge on the Danganronpa world first? And plus, I'm still using the impalement wound he inflicted on himself as a handicap to halved his strength and powers. Right now, the best he can do is morph his body and use his Future Sight for a few times. If he use too much, it'll worsen the pain and he'll be in a state of severe pain and risk passing out.**_

 _ **Plus, even though he lost against Luffy, he's still has to hang on onto his old pragmatist personality as a way to be a pillar of strength. Like the old saying, old habits die hard. And Katakuri had been doing that ever since he was like 13 or 14, and doing it for nearly all his life? That personality might as well be second nature, and killing a second nature habit is extremely hard. Also, he's not perfect. Katakuri is a man that never underestimates his opponents yet he's unaware or aware that he is undermining them. As much it hurts him, he has to follow the rules if he doesn't want to endanger the lives of the students on his conscious.**_

 _ **And I know some of you will say, "But why do they concern him? This is Charlotte Katakuri, he's ruthless, he doesn't care of lives that doesn't concern him or his goal." You may be right on that, but remember, this is post Katakuri after his battle against Luffy, after he learned to let go of his insecurities and the perfectionist mindset to be a pillar for his family and crew while being himself. So of course while he hangs on to his old behavior, the new one is steadily showing itself. Plus, it adds a layer of tension, sort of like blackmail.**_

 _ **I hope those answer those questions. I decide to rush past the group selection in the gym and decide to move the story along with the groups searching through the academy. How long will the interactions and scavenging last until the first drop of blood will shed? How will Katakuri get around of his predicament? Find out in the next chapter on The Ultimate Big Brother!**_

 _ **I'll need a little time to further how the middle of the story will progress. I got the end, but likewise, the middle must be planned or otherwise the rest of the story will feel like it was made up, and I really hate for that to happen, and you will hate it for that to happen for it will lose the creative fire the story has. So I hope you'll guys and gals will wait a tiny bit longer for the next chapter to be popped out. But I will do my best to update this story as frequently as I can during summer.**_

 _ **Oh, and great news...THIS STORY HAS REACHED OVER 100,000 WORDS! 100,000 WORDS IN TEN CHAPTERS (NOT INCLUDING THE PROLOGUE)! What a feat I have achieved! I am so proud that I have reached the 100,000 milestone! I am so so happy that I reached past it and I hope I'll past many more with chapters as long as this and the previous ones contains. Thank you all so much for the love and support you have in this chapter.**_

 _ **And as always favorite, follow, and review! Any flames or destructive criticism will face the wrath of Katakuri's Mole.**_

 **Beta-readers**

 **King Carlos**

 **Shadow of Life**

 **Brainstorming Partner ZGMF-X13A Providence**

 _ **Anyone who likes to be a beta reader, please PM me. See ya!**_


	12. Chapter 11: Taking it in pt 4

**Chapter 11: Taking it in pt. 4**

"What's the problem?"-dialogue

 _'I got fired.'-_ thoughts/flashback

*tsks*-onomatopoeia

 **Ultimate Architect-** title

 _ **"I determine your**_ _**future!"** -_Katakuri's Future/Monokuma

* * *

 _ **AN: Hello everybody, my name is Goku D. Uzumaki and welcome back to** The Ultimate Big Brother. **And as many of you remembered from the last chapter, our student groups are taking their time of getting aware of their surroundings while having some banter once in a while. Meanwhile, our main man Katakuri came across a dilemma with Monokuma about the children's safety if he tries to attack Monokuma in any way, sense, or fashion. Poor Katakuri, if only he has healing abilities. We are eleven chapters in and over 100K words into the story, I would love to thank you all for the over 18,000 views, nearly 80 people that favorite, reviewed, and followed the story. Whenever I post a story, I check to see my liking of the requirement of people liking and following the story. I can't stress how this has become the most popular One Piece/Danganronpa crossover ever!**_

 _ **I would love to give special thanks to the other authors that helped inspired this story to come to the past.** Class 78th Watches the Future **by Spirit Soldier,** Conquering Hope **by Putain de Plagieur (Pulpa),**_ _The Unlucky Luckster and the 77th Class **by Veos G17,** Everyday Life with Ultimate Girls **by Wesst1,** a New Hope **by Crit Fail,** The Luckster and his Luck **by Jibster,** Never Say Never **by Hunter of Comedy, and** The Ultimate Ninja **by the Dark Hood! If you have yet to check any of those, I highly recommend all of them, just in case you didn't catch them. So thank you all of those wonderful authors that helped inspire me and create this story, if not for them, this story would have never come to pass.**_

 _ **Also, if any of you are interested, I am currently making a new story with Katakuri in the Loud House called** Charlotte Loud Katakuri **, so please, check that out and let me know. It's in the Loud House archive. And I know, I'm not even a quarter way done of this story, but I just got so anxious to make a crossover with The Loud House that I just had to come up with a draft and type it in. And don't worry, I will not let two stories bring me down or overload me. I will take my time to post updates on both stories as quickly as I can while retaining novel-like quality to them since they are plot-driven stories. So please bear with me.**_

 _ **And in this chapter, we will have more character bonding, some great scenes, some tense scenes, and an extra surprise at the end! What is the surprise? Well, wait and find out!**_

 _ **But you all know the drill, any flames or destructive/void criticism will face Katakuri's Mole. Favorite, follow, and review!**_

 _ **And without further ado, we now have the timid detective-in-training Shuichi Saihara to say the disclaimer! Shuichi, if you please...**_

 **Shuichi: *nervously stares at the audience* Umm...I-I...h-h-hi?**

 **Audience: Haaaaiiiii~**

 **Shuichi: *very nervous chuckle* T-Thank you...umm..h-how should I do this...*covers face with cap and groans***

 **Katakuri: Poor Shuichi, seems as though he's never used to speaking to people, let alone to an audience of this size.**

 **Makoto: *rubs his head* Yeah, how are we gonna motivate him?**

 **Himiko: Want me to cast a spell of bravery upon him, Big Bro? *holds up staff***

 **Katakuri: Thanks, but there's no need. He needs to do this on his own.**

 **Hajime: How are we gonna do it? He's shaking his boots out there.**

 _ **GDU: Hmm, I have an idea...perhaps we can-**_

 **Katakuri: No.**

 _ **GDU: But you didn't-**_

 **Katakuri: No, n-o. You are not going to do that, he'll be even more flustered and he will pass out. So you might as well hang that suggestion up.**

 _ **GDU: *mutters* Stupid future sight...Hmmm, I got it. *goes to Shuichi* Hey Shuichi.**_

 **Shuichi: Y-Yes?**

 _ **GDU: If you can say the disclaimer while facing everyone, I'll let you *whispers***_

 **Shuichi: *eyes widen a bit* R-Really?**

 _ **GDU: *whispers***_

 **Shuichi: Wow, r-really? T-Thank you, thank you so much. *turns back to the audience and straightens himself out***

 _ **The-*ahem* T-The following is a non-profit, fan-based fanfiction. Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, Goodbye Despair, V3: Killing Harmony, and Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls are all owned by Spike Chunsoft, Too Kyo Games, and Kazutaka Kodaka. One Piece is owned by Shueisha, Funimation, Toei Animation, Fuji TV, and Eiichiro Oda. P-Please support the official releases.**_

 **Makoto: Wow, he actually did it.**

 **Katakuri: Hmm, it seems he gave Saihara some motivation to say it. I admit I'm impressed.**

 **Hajime: That's a lot coming from Shuichi, sorry to say but he couldn't hold a conversation with one person without fumbling.**

 **Himiko: Awww, I guess I'm not needed to cast a spell upon him *wilts*.**

 **Katakuri: *rubs her head* Don't worry, you'll get the chance someday.**

 **Himiko: *giggles***

 _ **GDU: Well, a bit of a bargain but I did it.**_

 **Katakuri: Did you gave him a bribe like you were about to earlier?  
**

 _ **GDU: Noooo, I just decide to give Shuichi some more screentime.**_

 **Makoto: Oh okay.**

 **Katakuri: Hmmm, with** _whom **?"**_

 _ **GDU: Wait and find out Katakuri, wait and find out...**_

* * *

 **Day One**

 **First Floor**

 **Dormitories**

 **3:14 p.m**

"Awww, you look so cute Naegi!" Asahina squealed.

Makoto chuckled nervously as he scratched his head as he looked at his dorm's door. Makoto and his group arrived at the dormitories to check them out and see the interiors. Makoto wanted to see if the rooms are comfortable enough when it is time for bed. And of course, the first room they want to check out is his room.

"I do admit Naegi-san, the sign is a bit childish considering this school is prestigious," Kibo mused lightly with a small smile on his features.

"Childish? Like, I do think that fits you Naegi. I might even say you found your long lost twin brother," Junko teased with a smirk.

"Well, at least we are able to tell each other's rooms apart with the signs. However, I do say, maybe it would've been a bit better if it just has nameplates with our last names on them," Sakura remarked.

"Well, I agree with Asahina, that mini-you is too cute Naegi-san!" Sayaka cheered as she gushed at the sign.

The group stared at the sign that is on Makoto's room door in the dormitory hallway. The sign that caused the group to be surprised at how the doors tell each other's rooms apart. On the door is a sign, a plain white sign with an 8-bit pixelated sprite of the ahoge boy on it with his last name underneath. The sprite looks very much like Makoto if he's in a video game, with his hair, his cowlick, his hoodie, shoes and all, even his eye color. To say that Naegi was embarrassed would be an understatement.

The boy blushed as he took in the compliments from Asahina and Sayaka and the tease from Junko. Makoto put his hand on the doorknob and found it to be locked. Puzzled by it, he surmised that the door is locked and that it needs a key. Question is, where is the key?

"I figured that the rooms would be locked. I'm pretty certain that either the sign has some kind of space or sleeve where your room key is," Sakura surmised.

Kibo's eyes widen a bit as he began to scan the door to find the key. After a few seconds, his eyes returned to normal. "She's right, Naegi-san. Your dorm room key is located in between your sprite sign."

"How did you know that, Kibo?" Asahina asked.

"I just simply scanned it, nothing too much," the robotic boy replied.

Makoto reached in between the sign and found a space in between the two sides of the sign. He lowered his hand on the bottom and felt something metallic and grasped it. He pulled out the key and he and the group took a look to see how the key looks like. The key is silver and it looked very sophisticated. On the handle of the key is the emblem of Hope's Peak with a small chain at the end.

"Wow, they even go out on their way to stylize their keys," Junko said.

Makoto begins to unlock his dorm room door to see how his room looks like. The boy opened the door and found the room to be dark for an obvious reason. Makoto reached out his left arm on the wall and felt the light switch and turned it on. The room brightened revealing the room and the group found themselves surprised.

Makoto, Asahina, Sayaka, and Junko gasped while Kibo and Sakura's eyes widened a bit as they took in Naegi's room design. His room appears to be a combination of a sitting room and bedroom as there is a table in the middle of the room. The room has a shelf on the far right side with a sword on top of it and a drawer right beside the bed. On the ceiling are white beams with a ceiling light that illuminates the room.

On the far right corner of the room is a door that is an ensuite private bathroom. There are also lots of plants decorating the room. The room would've been luxurious and cool if it wasn't for two detriments.

The first one being that the windows behind the bed that was supposed to let the group take a look of the outside world were also blocked by monotonous iron clad walls. So much for their one glimmer of hope of looking to see what the outside world looks like.

The second being that each upper corner of the room is mounted cameras. The group tries to hold in the sickening feeling that even in their privacy of the bedrooms are invaded by the constant watchful eye of Monokuma and whoever is behind it.

*sighs* "Well, so much for privacy," Makoto sighed as he took notice of the cameras.

Sayaka frowned. "That creep. He won't even give us the courtesy of letting us sleep in peace. I hope there aren't any of those in the bathrooms."

Makoto walked up to his bed and laid down, feeling comfort for the first time ever since. The soft cushion and steady firmness of the mattress did wonder to his body as he twists and turns to feel the mattress relaxing his body after a long day of standing and walking. The rest of the group walked into and also took in the room's design more.

Kibo walked up to the sword display on the shelf and observed it. The sword looks more like any standard katana, nothing special yet not mediocre, just an average katana. "Hey Naegi, why do you have a sword in your room?"

Makoto pondered for a bit as he sits up from his bed and looks at the sword in the black scabbard. "I'm not sure, maybe it's there to be some kind of decoration?"

Sakura walked up to the sword and grasped it. She unsheathed the sword and observed the craftsmanship of the blade. The beefy girl may not be not weapons expert but she's knowledgeable enough of the design of the sword. It looks like any typical katana you would buy from a store or a blacksmith, pretty adequate.

"I think you have this sword in case if a situation calls for self-defense. Forgive me if I bring the mood down but virtually anything can be a weapon if given, so I believe you have this if you need to fight back an assailant that would try to attack you," Sakura explained as she puts the sword back on display.

"But like, isn't it a bit unnecessary for Makoto to have a sword? Last we checked before entering, the door has a lock that is pretty much unpickable if someone tries to pick the lock from the outside," Junko asked as she jabbed her thumb at the door.

"True, but just in case if Naegi lets someone in and that someone has a motive to inflict harm upon him. He may need it in case," Kibo reasoned.

The ahoge boy grew a bit unsure of him attacking someone who wants to take his life for whatever motive they have. Despite the truth from Sakura and Kibo, Makoto still desired to try his best to avoid any casualties so they would get an edge against the maniacal teddy bear in their predicament.

Right before the mood in the room begins to dour, a certain swimmer came to the rescue. "Well, besides that, you have a pretty neat room Naegi!" The boy chuckled a bit as his face grew a blush pink from the compliment. The rest of the group smiled a bit after Asahina's flattery towards Naegi.

"Yeah, besides the ugly barricaded windows and the peeping cameras, your room is spectacular Naegi," Sayaka added with a sweet smile, further flustering the boy. Kibo and Sakura chuckled at the exchanged. Then the mood was lifted back up as the group continued on with their conversations on what they like, dislikes, and whatnot, deciding to spend a good quality time of getting to know each other more. In other words, there were smiles on everybody's faces.

Well, everybody except Junko.

The disguised girl stood at the entrance of the door staring at the smiling group with a longing expression as the lively conversations between the group mutes in her mind. Even though she is determined to finish her mission, she's still grasped in on how optimistic and friendly Makoto and the gang are despite the grave circumstances they are in. The best part of their interactions are is that there is no hidden malice or spite, no fake or plastic smiles. Unlike her sister.

Mukuro knew of all people that whenever Junko smiles, most people will accept her smiles as teasing or genuine. But the girl knew that the smiles Junko gives were nothing but transparent and fake. Behind those smiles is a sinister, twisted, and maniacal girl with the desire to watch everything and everyone be consumed by the never-ending torrent of despair. And every time Junko hits Mukuro, the girl tries to feel the euphoric rush of despair her sister felt all the time. But like all rushes, they're temporary, leaving her in a state of emptiness.

Now with her new job of carrying out her orders to pretend like her sister to achieve her goal, she is more than determined to not only prove to herself that she can be useful all the time but to her sister. But with the encounter and addition of the beastly, monstrous Charlotte Katakuri and the friendly atmosphere around Makoto and the group, her determination wavers by each and every moment she spends with the group, more especially Makoto Naegi.

She still doesn't know why she felt attracted to Makoto, but she's still feeling welcome around his friendly aura. Unlike Junko's plastic atmosphere, Naegi's felt genuine. Despite his average standard appearance, she couldn't deny the welcomeness she felt when she's around him.

And right now, the more she thinks about it, the more she questions whether she is useful to Junko's operations or not. And that is one of, if not, the main fears of Mukuro Ikusaba:

The feeling of uselessness.

Unwanted.

Undesired.

Unwelcome.

Unloved.

Nothing but a tool for a needs to an end. And like all tools, once they are finished what they are supposed to do, they get tossed to the wayside like yesterday's trash. Would Junko throw her away, finding her to be dead to her, useless for her goals, unfavorable and intolerable to her eyes?

No.

No, Junko would never commit such an act of dismissing her. They are the Despair Sisters, she is her twin sister, and sisters look out for each other. Junko Enoshima is the **Ultimate Fashionista** and Mukuro Ikusaba is the **Ultimate Soldier**. And like all soldiers, their only job is to follow orders and carry them out without even the tiniest bit of hesitation. And so, as her job as a despair sister and the **Ultimate Soldier** , she is supposed to carry out her orders, pretend to be like her airheaded sister, and get out of the game and work with Junko behind the scenes.

Soldiers are not supposed to question their seniors, right?

And soldiers are not supposed to express emotions.

.

.

Right?

.

.

"Hey, Junko!"

Mukuro snapped out of her mental tirade and glanced back to the group who had a look of expectancy on their faces. The disguised girl blinked before putting the thoughts away as she pulled her Junko smile back on her features. "Yeah?"

Kibo looked at her. "Is something bothering you, Enoshima-senpai?"

The girl shook her head and pushed a few locks of her hair behind her ear. "Like, nothing's wrong. How come?"

"Well, it looks like you were staring off into something like you zoned out. Is something on your mind?" Makoto asked.

"Yeah, we all agreed to do something and then we called out your name but you didn't answer. You okay?" Asahina added with a look of confusion on her expression.

Junko nodded and folded her arms, thinking of some excuse to let them lay off with their prying. "Yeah, I'm cool, just thinking about some fashion choices afterward, my bad." She then looks at the group with a raised eyebrow. "Remind me what was it we're gonna do?"

The concerned looks are gone as they are reminded of their next objective. "We were just about to head off to check out Asahina's room to see how it looks like compared to this one. Ready to come along?" Sayaka said with her hands clasped.

Junko gave them her teasing smirk. "Oh, about to check on the ladies' room I see? Naegi, I didn't know you are such a Romeo." The remark made the boy fluster and stammer a bit.

"I-I...w-well...i-it's not like that, you know..." Makoto stammered with a pink flush on his face as the group chuckles at the gesture.

"Ah, just yanking your chain. Well then, let's get going," Junko said. The group then exited out of Makoto's room with the boy locking his door before they ventured off to find Maizono's room.

Makoto and the group trekked down the hall to the opposite wing of the dorms and found Sayaka's door. Like Makoto's, the door has the 8-bit sprite version of Sayaka with her last name underneath. The idol goes between the sign and plucked the key to unlocking her door, excited to see what her room's design is going to be. The door opens and what was seen in the group's eyes especially Sayaka's lit up at the room's design.

The room has the same standard appearance as Makoto's except the color scheme is more feminine, obviously. But the major difference is the overall theme. The first things they saw are large posters on the walls with Sayaka and her band on their tours. In the middle of the room is a mic stand with a recorder on the shelf. On the far right side of the room is a vanity mirror with lots of makeup and headpieces. And at the dresser beside her blue and pink colored schemed bed are stacks of CDs that are related to the songs Sayaka and her band sing.

In layman terms, her room is dazzling.

Sayaka's eyes widened in amazement and awe at the design of her room. She cannot hold her squeals of excitement from the outlook. "Oh my goodness! This is amazing! I can't believe they have all of my CDs and posters!"

Asahina's face brightened at the pop star themed room. "Wow Maizono, your room is so beautiful! I didn't know that the academy is a fan of your work!"

Kibo walked up to one of the posters. "Wow, they even go as far as collect your wallpapers. Seems as though they took good advantages of customization."

Asahina hopped next to Sakura who is still looking around the room. "Hey Sakura, can you believe it? If Maizono's room has stuff that matches to her and her talent, what would our rooms have?"

Sakura looked down and smiled at her friend. "I can't say I know, Asahina. But I am also eager to see our room's interior look."

Junko took a look around the room and nodded at the change of color of the room. Even someone as she couldn't deny the overall spark the room contains. "Hmm, I do say Maizono, your room is just like, flying with colors."

Sayaka giggled and stick out her tongue. "Oh stop it, Junko, you're just saying stuff." The group continued to laugh and admire in Sayaka's room with the atmosphere back to the way it was like in Naegi's room.

Speaking of whom, the boy stared at the room in surprise...but sadly, it's not the good kind of surprise.

Makoto's mouth was agape at the vibrancy and cheeriness of Sayaka's room. This room is no doubt a representation of Sayaka Maizono as a person, in both her personality and her talent. But as such, the young boy couldn't help but do a comparison of his room to her room. Granted, it may seem unlikely of Naegi, but the boy couldn't help but feel a bit inadequate as he realized that not only Sayaka's room, but every classmate's room has the color, items, theme, and design that correlates to the person's personality and talent. How everyone else's room stands out with their unique look, his room seems rather...

Standard.

Plain.

Average.

Unimpressive.

Meh.

The poor boy wilted as he surmised that his room is the default of the dormitory rooms whether it belongs to a boy or girl. Sure, it does have neat, pretty high-end designs but compared to Sayaka's bright and cheery design...his room is not that impressive, in fact, he would even go as far as say inadequate.

Noticing his demeanor, Sayaka turned to him as her smile turns to a worried frown. "What's wrong, Naegi-san?"

Everyone turned to the luckster who still has his slightly crestfallen expression as he felt tiny compared to everyone else. Looking up, he noticed that every eye is on him and the once cheerful and exciting banter and mood dropped as they saw the down look on Makoto's face. A little pang of guilt hit his stomach as he felt responsible for killing the mood with his low self-esteem and inferiority thoughts of how his room symbolizes him as a person: a plain, boring, average person compared to Sayaka: a bright, cheerful, friendly, and dazzling character.

Asahina frowned. "What's the matter, Naegi, what's wrong?"

"You seemed to be trouble for some reason, tell us what's on your mind," Sakura said.

The boy let out a sigh as he rubbed his arm. "I-It's nothing guys, I'm okay."

Junko folded her arms and stares at him with a stern expression which caught him a bit off-guard. "Oh, that is _not_ 'nothing', Naegi. Something is troubling you, and you can't just pass it off as nothing." Deep down, the girl winced a bit as she felt like a hypocrite as she didn't tell them of what's going on in her mind earlier back in Naegi's dorm.

"Exactly." Kibo walked up to the boy with a soft look on his face. "You can tell us your worries, Naegi-san. We're your friends, and friends are supposed to be there for each other."

"Yeah, exactly. So please tell us, Naegi, what's wrong?" Sayaka pleaded.

The poor boy felt even more guilty as he put everyone in a state of worry after he told himself he would do his best to avoid feeling down or upset. Yet, here it is, Sayaka, Asahina, Sakura, Kibo, and Junko staring at him with the intent of wanting to know the reason why he's upset. Makoto berated himself more for not toughening out and not letting the dynamic difference between their rooms affect him and his view on everybody.

Then, he remembered Kibo's words, and how Kibo's words reflect his declaration to Katakuri back at the gym when Mondo, Fuyuhiko, and Togami were at it. He remembered how they need to stand strong and friends always be there for each other, no matter what. Friends always tell each other's problems and issues and do their best to help each other overcome them. If Makoto is going to get stronger, then he needs to tell his friends about what is going on in his head.

And besides, isn't telling someone you care about your issues is the first sign of strength?

Letting out a sigh, Makoto relented. "I'm sorry, guys...I didn't mean to sour the mood. It's just...I just realized that all of you and everyone else's rooms are an extension or representation of a person's personality and talent. Maizono's room has the stuff that defines her as the **Ultimate Pop Sensation** , Asahina's room will define her as the **Ultimate Swimmer** , Ogami the **Ultimate Martial Artist** , and so on."

"Me?" He rubbed his arm as he looked at the ground sullenly. "I'm just the **Ultimate Luckster**. What kind of talent is 'luck'? Just some title based on superstition, on coincidence. All I did just win a lottery ticket that just happens to be there, that's it. I mean, what else I can do? I can't fight, I can't cook, I can't swim, I can't do fashion, I can't do any field of study, I can't even write on a professional level. So, I just feel...unappealing, you know? If a room can tell what kind of person you are, then what does my room tells about me? Just another face in the crowd? A copy-and-paste? I'm sorry."

Everyone stared at the sullen boy as they took in his reasons for his lowered mood. In some sense, they relate to him. Even though they possess talents, they know how it feels to be inferior towards those who possess better qualities of their talents. It's very hard to stop comparing yourself to other people who may be better than them in the fields of their abilities.

Makoto's reasoning made the group recalled back on when Katakuri told them that having a title that dictates an individual's ability and self-worth deemed useless and stupid. They remembered how all of them were thinking of whether their talents mattered or not when the giant puts it that way. Is it really worth having a title of being called 'ultimate' if there are other people out there in the world who are a thousand times better in their talents? Is it worth it to be recognized in an academy such as Hope's Peak by being labeled for having one talent alone?

.

.

.

That's it?"

.

Huh?

"That's really what's been nagging you, Naegi? Like, literally, that's the main reason why you damper the mood?" Junko asked with a raised eyebrow.

Makoto's head snapped as he looked at the girl with a surprised look on his face. "W-Well...I-I just-"

Asahina popped up in front of the boy's face, startling him. "Are you really gonna let something as silly as talent let you feel terrible or something? Shame on you, I thought you were better than that, Naegi," she scolded lightly.

"I-I mean...I-I'm sorry that I was-"

Sayaka waved a finger in a scolding manner as if a mother would to her child. "Naegi, I thought you're better than that. I mean, we all heard it ourselves from your friend. Talent doesn't determine a person's life." The boy blinked as he never expected Sayaka to be the scolding type.

"She's right, Naegi-san." Makoto turned and looked at Kibo who is smiling at him. "Didn't you recalled on what Mr. Katakuri had mentioned about talent when Hinata-senpai asked him about what his talent is?"

Makoto's eyes snapped open as his memory goes back to the times when talent was the topic of conversation. His mind goes back to the very first time he met Katakuri in the halls when he woke up in the building.

 _'I don't want to be an Ultimate, it sounds like a chore to be given a title over one thing. And to be frank, if you are only good at one thing and think you are the best of that talent, then consider yourself a one-trick pony.'_

Makoto remembers how he agreed to the flawed logic and unfairness behind Hope's Peak system of student selection based on being very good in one ability and enrolling those who don't have talents be classified in the Reserve Course, which is a euphemism for fodder. On how those rules were doing nothing but making the academy feel more like a prison than a school. Imprisoned by the mindset that your life is determined by being good at something and stay good at it unless someone else surpasses you in that field that they get your title, making you feel like a second fiddle.

And if there is one thing that describes such a mindset that the rules of Hope's Peak abides and the effects it does to the students, Makoto could only think of one word.

Toxic.

The boy also remembers when he introduced Katakuri to the students and when Hajime asked the giant of what his talent is, he can vividly see the class's visible reactions to Katakuri's dismissal of the talent system and how everyone was conflicted on the fatal flaw that the talent system has.

 _'I find it really dull to be labeled by something I excel at, especially if I can do one thing. Even more, if I know that there are people out there that are more proficient at the same talent I possessed. Though coming here wasn't by choice, I just wanted to be somewhere a bit freer. Frankly, being labeled from that is really dumb.'_

Makoto can see the shocked expressions the students had when Katakuri gave his reasoning. He can see the underlying anger and irritation on some of their faces when their talents were called out by being stupid and dull. While the luckster understands why they would feel such a way, to strife, to work, to fight, and to earn their positions as ultimates to be recognized and acknowledged in a prestigious place such as Hope's Peak, he also can understand why they would be offended and miffed if someone they've never seen before in their lives, a 'foreigner', would call their hard work of earning their titles as 'dull and dumb'.

Yet, he can also see the conflict that was in the crowd's faces as they were piecing together the logic behind Katakuri's explanation. While they were still convinced that their titles were hard-earned and worthy, they couldn't help but feel sullen when they were given the thought that there may be others out in the world that is better than they are. Having a title that is recognizable...for having one talent. Being good at one small thing?

"But guys, didn't you felt the same way when Katakuri-san mentioned that? How did all of you felt after he gave his thoughts on the talent system?" Makoto asked while rubbing his arm, worried that they may take out their frustrations of his friend's blunt reasoning to talents on him.

The room fell into a small moment of silence as everyone remembered Katakuri's words to the flaws of Hope's Peak talent-oriented system. While they can't deny that they were shocked and offended in some of them of having their titles being called stupid, they also can't help but connect the holes in the logic of the talent-based school.

Sakura stepped up. "I can't deny it, at first, we were all a put-off by his notion. We all felt offended in some way when our lives' hard work and struggles of earning the recognition of being called an ultimate put in question." Makoto wilted slightly at that.

But Asahina pops right beside the beefcake with a grin on her face as she pumped her fists, surprising the luckster. "But that also doesn't mean we should let it bother us. It doesn't matter if there are people out there who are better than us. I agree, there are better swimmers than me out there and at times it bothered me from that thought, I shouldn't let it get to me. I love swimming, to me, swimming is one of the many things that define me, not _the_ thing that makes me who I am."

"I felt the same way when I was in the industry. So many rising stars climbed up to status and the things that were running through my mind scared me from the thought of being replaced by others who are getting better or are better than me. But I didn't let it stop me, instead, I let it make keep doing what I'm doing. They have their identity, and I have mine," Sayaka added with a smile on her features.

Kibo smiled. "Indeed. We shouldn't let the notion make us feel inferior or worthless. It's good that you are great at something, but that also doesn't mean you are the best either. But that's okay too. Nobody is best at everything, there are others that are better than you out there, that's the reality."

Junko strutted towards Naegi with her hands on her hips as she looked at him with an expectant smirk on her face. "Question is though, what would you like to do about it, huh?"

Makoto stared at his group in surprise. He was sure he would be scolded or yelled from Katakuri's take on talents, but he didn't expect them to be accepting his notion. He was sure that there would be some kind of conflict on that talent orientation is good or bad, but they took it and accepted it like no problem. He stared at the smiling faces of his friends as they are waiting for him to respond.

For his answer, the boy's face changed from surprise to full-on determination as he nodded at them. "You're right. I shouldn't let such a silly thing get me down like this, especially if it's something even sillier as comparing rooms. Sorry for bringing down the mood earlier, I should've known better." Makoto rubbed his head with a sheepish smile.

Asahina pumped her fists as her grin widens further. "Silly Naegi, no need to apologize! Instead of standing here moping, how about we check out my room next? Then next, we should check out Sakura's, Kibo's, and Junko's afterward."

Sayaka tilted her head with her usual sweet expression on her face. "So how about it, Naegi-kun? Ready to lead?"

The boy turned to Sakura and Asahina, with the former smiling and the latter grinning. Then he turned to Kibo and Sayaka with both of them offering warm smiles. Finally, he turned to Junko who is still looking at him with her smirk. It didn't take long for Naegi to give his answer.

With a smile, Makoto nodded. "You know it. Let's be on our way." With some cheers, the group exit the room with Sayaka locking her door before they walked on down the hallways to find Asahina's room with Naegi leading the way, with some cheerful banter along the way.

Unknown to them, as the group walks away with their backs almost nonvisible, someone was standing at the entrance of the dormitory halls. The person watched the group walk around a corner to find what they're looking for while hearing their conversations from afar. The person let out a quiet yet satisfied humph before walking away to continue on its own venture in the academy.

The reason why the person waited for the group to be out of sight and earshot?

So that they wouldn't be able to hear the jangling of spurs from the person's retreating footsteps.

* * *

 **Day One**

 **First Floor**

 **Hallway**

 **4:03 p.m.**

"Don't mind telling me, how did you and Kaede meet after you two woke up from our nap?"

The young detective trainee's face flushed when Kaito's question makes him recalled him and Kaede's first encounter. It is something Shuichi was not fond of remembering. If you know the reason.

"W-Well...i-i-it's not something...I like the...remember, Momota-"

The astronaut clasped his hand on the boy's shoulder, making him jump a bit. "Aww dude, no need to be so formal. You can just call me Kaito! Stop being so nervous, loosen up a bit, man."

Shuichi took in Kaito's words as he let out a few breaths to relax so he would make an attempt to continue what he was saying without blundering. "Kaito...I'm not feeling comfortable with recalling me and Kaede's encounter."

Kaito raised an eyebrow. "Huh, why's that?"

"W-Well...let's just say it wasn't the...*ahem* _proper_ way of our meeting, to say the least..." Shuichi muttered the last part while keeping his eyes on the floor as they continue to trek in the halls.

"Proper? What do you mean by that-"

Kaito peeks under the boy's cap and saw Shuichi's flushed face and his eyes fixated on the floor to avoid looking at him in the eye. It didn't take long for Kaito to put two and two together with the extremely vague description of Shuichi and Kaede's encounter.

The spiky-haired astronaut let out a small chuckle as he rubbed his goatee. "Ohhhh, Shuichi...you sly dog."

Shuichi's head snapped up with a shocked expression on his face. "W-What?! W-What do you mean by that?!"

Kaito's lips formed into a teasing smug with the continuous stroking of his goatee. "Well, what did you discover with your findings, detective?" he teased, emphasizing the detective, which makes Shuichi even more flustered.

"W-W-W-What...I-I don't know w-w-what you're talking about," Shuichi exclaimed.

"Was she soft, Saihara?"

.

.

The halls fell silent afterward.

.

.

.

"Y-Yes..."

.

.

.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

The empty hallway that was once filled with deafening silence after the question was now being filled with Kaito's uproarious laughter of seeing the poor trainee's face after taking in the question. Shuichi's face is as red as a tomato, his eyes bucked wide with steam coming out of his eyes in utter embarrassment. Seeing his face makes the astronaut laugh even harder. Kaito doubled over holding his gut with his laughter filling the halls.

Shuichi waved his hands in a frenzied manner as his face was streaming with bullets of sweat. "N-N-N-N-NO! T-T-That's not what I meant at all! Kaede opened the locker I was in and I just happened to fall on top of her and-"

"And you felt them, haven't you? Did you fell on them on accident, or did you just want to cop a feel so you just want to fell on her to cushion your fall?" Kaito teased with the same smug look he had earlier.

Poor Saihara was trapped from his own answer. He didn't mean to say yes, he doesn't know why he did anyway. The more he tries to defend himself, the deeper the hole he'll be in. So the only way Shuichi can respond to those questions was to pull the cap over his face to hide his awkward red-face and block off Kaito's teasing guffawing.

"Hahahaha, oh dude. I didn't know you were such a lady's man, Shuichi," Kaito teased playfully. The only response Shuichi can give was an awkward-filled groan. The astronaut clasped his hand on the boy's shoulder as he stifled his laughter. "Sorry man, I was just yanking your chain. I didn't know that my sidekick was capable of doing such a thing."

The detective-in-training let out a grumble as he continues to walk alongside Momota, with his mind going back to his initial regret of tagging along with him.

 _'I definitely should've stayed with Kaede to avoid this. At least she would've been less teasing about it. Though then again...she can be mischievous if given. *groans*'_ Shuichi groaned to himself.

To avoid any more embarrassment of the topic of him and Kaede's...awkward encounter, Shuichi decides to change topics to break the uncomfortable atmosphere. "By the way, Kaito, where are we going? We've been walking for a pretty long time."

Kaito looked at the boy as he let go and put his arms behind his head with a thoughtful expression. "I'm not quite sure yet, Shuichi. Ever since our best friend Maki decides to go solo, I just figured we would just wander around the academy with the luck of finding someone or people who are more warm to join our team." Kaito jabbed his thumb at himself as he pulled a smirk. "But don't worry, I'm sure that the rest of the students who hadn't gone on their scavenge are still in the gym, and I have a pretty safe bet that Kaede is there as well."

Shuichi turned to the boy with a quizzical look as he's a bit skeptical that there are still some students that remained in the gym for this long. It's been a few hours ever since the majority of them dispersed and went off on their own ventures. "I-I'm not sure that there are some classmates remaining in the gym. I'm pretty sure that Kaede and whoever is in her group are somewhere else."

Kaito re-wraps his arm around Shuichi and brought the boy closer to him with an excited grin on his face. "That's true, but I'm pretty sure that the ones that are still in the gym are either still indecisive of who'll be in their group or if they went back to the gym to tell one another info of their findings. I'm pretty confident on the former, since the last time we left there were quite a handful of classmates left."

Shuichi looks down at the floor unconvinced. "Alright, if you say so..."

Kaito pats the boy's shoulder with his trademark grin on his face. "Hey now, I know so Shuichi! Your leader never steers you wrong, you can count on me!" Shuichi scratches his head still unsure of Kaito's claim.

The two boys arrived at the gym doors to see if there are still students in there. Kaito opens the door and to their surprise, there is quite a good remainder of students that still hasn't gone off to their scavenge in the academy. The students that remained are Tsumugi, Hifumi, Leon, Ibuki, and Rantaro.

"Heh, I told you they'd still be here Shuichi. Told you, have I ever steered you wrong?" Kaito mused as he walked towards the students, leaving Shuichi standing with a tired expression.

"You said that the first few times," the young detective trainee sighed as he fixed his cap as he followed Kaito to head to the students' direction.

"Huh, you're right. Guess third times the charm," Kaito grinned.

The four students heard the footsteps and turned to see the two boys heading towards them. Tsumugi fixed her glasses as she waved at them, in which the two waved back. "Hey, is everything alright?"

Yamada felt nervous as he thought something bad has happened already, as he glanced at the duo. "H-Has there been any m-m-murders?"

Shuichi offered the four a faint smile. "Oh no, nothing of the sort happened. It's just that we decide to come back here to see if any of you like to be in our group. From what it's going on, almost everyone already found a group."

Leon looked at the clock on the far end of the gym. "Oh wow, I didn't know that we stayed here for so long. Sorry man, guess all of us got distracted."

Kaito snickered as he folded his arms. "So what have you five been doing in the gym?"

Hifumi's face brightened as he pulled out his notebook. "Oh my, Miss Shirogane here has been showing us her amazing cosplaying skills. It's quite a shame you two missed it, it was like every single anime character I know and love has been brought to life!"

Kaito turned to the bespectacled girl with an impressed expression. "That's right, your talent is being the **Ultimate Cosplayer** , right?"

Tsumugi pushed her glasses up with a slight blush. "W-Well, since you put it that way, y-yes, yes I am. I was just cosplaying as Sailor Moon from **Sailor Moon** , and Mister Yamada found my cosplaying neat."

Ibuki pops up beside the girl, surprising her and the two boys with her grin. "Tsumugi was more than neat, Ibuki thinks she was fantastic! So fantastic that Ibuki had added some wicked background music to go along with it! Despite me not knowing who Sailor Moon is, Ibuki knows that a character intro needs their theme song!"

"Combined that with Miss Shirogane's amazing cosplaying abilities to act like Sailor Moon was an experience like never before! It was like she was Princess Serenity herself, she's very incredible," Yamada added with an enthusiastic tone as he paused his drawing.

Rantaro walks up with a small smile as he glances at Yamada. "I would say that despite Hifumi's rather overenthusiastic reaction towards her display, I have to say that Tsugumi definitely has the character traits spot on."

Tsumugi blushed slightly at the praise as she tapped her chin with her finger. "Ummm...I don't usually like being watched by people...cosplaying is just a hobby. Even though I can act like the character, I rather prefer to make the costumes and rather fine with others wearing them. But as of lately...more cosplayers are putting themselves before their characters, that they rather be more concerned about looking the part than acting the part. That's why I love cosplaying, to wear the costumes with love, to act like the character I'm portraying." She scratched her face with her finger. "Though I must say...I feel rather naked without my outfits."

"N-N-N-N-Naked?!" Hifumi stammered as his face heated up and his eyes bulged, as his imagination began to go into the extreme end. But his imaginations were thankfully cut short by a jab from Leon with an annoyed look.

"Not that sort of naked, doofus. She refers to feeling empty or nothing with them. Man, you gotta get your mind out of the gutter," Leon grumbled, earning a nervous and embarrassed chuckle from the fanzine artist. Kaito and Shuichi turned to each other with a sweatdrop from their senior's perverted behavior, which Amami chuckles and Ibuki laugh at that.

Clueless from his train of thought, the girl smiled softly before nodding her head. "Mister Kuwata is right. It's hard to explain it, but when I become someone else, I become more confident, more strong...bold. Plain old Tsumugi Shirogane is just a boring cardboard cutout.

The artist blinked. "Well, I don't think you're boring at all Miss Shirogane. Though if I may ask...can you really become anyone with your cosplays, including real-life people?"

The blue haired girl smiled fondly for a moment. "To a certain degree. I can only cosplay aliases and characters based on fiction. As strange as it may seem, if I dress up as a real person, I get an allergic reaction, almost like hives. It's called Cospox, ridiculous as it sounds. It's not a lovely sight." she mused.

Leon scratched the back of his head with a confused look. "Cospox? Does a thing like that exist?"

Tsumugi turned to the punk baseball player with a nod. "Sadly, it is. I won't be offended if you don't believe me, even I denied it at first."

The baseball player shook his head. "Oh no, it's not that. It's just weird that there's a condition like that exist with a laughable name."

The girl chuckled a bit. "Yeah, me too."

Rantaro turned to Kaito and Shuichi. "I hate to cut the topic short, but we've been standing in here a pretty long time. Had all the students chose their groups?"

Shuichi smiled. "That's why we are here, well...Kaito suggested we do. We just want to know if you guys like to join our group, it's only the two of us. And perhaps, all of us should go to the dining hall to talk more, if that's what you want?" he asked quietly.

Tsumugi smiled softly. "I can't speak for the rest of us, but I'd love to."

Leon walked up with a smirk. "Heck, beats better than standing here all day and doing nothing. Hell, I'll tag along."

Like before, the musician pops up behind the boy holding a peace sign. "And where would the fun be if Ibuki is not involved? She loves to join your group!"

Hifumi slowly pushed his glasses back in place. "And where Miss Shirogane goes, I go...plus I am starving."

Rantaro turned to the boys with a smile. "I'm sorry to say but I'm afraid that there's no more room in your group, but I hope you won't mind me coming along."

Kaito smiled. "Of course not, the more the merrier! And besides, I'm pretty sure Kaede is there organizing her group and she'll be happy to have you in her group. But for now, consider yourself an honorary member of Team Kaito...and Shuichi." The astronaut pulls the detective close, earning a nervous chuckle from him.

The adventurer chuckles. "Well then, leader...please lead the way."

Kaito turns around and laughs. "All of you are in for a treat. Say what you will about this prison, how incredibly crappy our situation is. But if there is one thing that sleazebag Monokuma was right about was that this school didn't cut on the budget."

Kaito then leads forward with Shuichi still wrapped in his arm, as the two are leading their newly formed group out of the gym with Tsumugi behind with Hifumi following and Leon and Ibuki talking and bickering on their music. The seven group members exited out of the gym and the door closed, echoing in the finally empty gymnasium.

* * *

 **Day One**

 **First Floor**

 **Dining Hall**

 **4:37 p.m.**

Katakuri sits in the dining hall alone. After his encounter with Monokuma, his mood turned foul. So what better place to think that to be in a room that is not populated yet. Earlier, the giant couldn't find a chair that could contain his massive size but thankfully he found a couple of chairs that are capable of holding his size. Sitting down, the crimsonhead ponders more on the situation at hand and the best way to approach it.

Despite his displeasure, the two-toned bear gave him an e-book which he can finally use it for info for the academy's locations. Now the only thing Katakuri needs to know is to learn this world's history, mainly this country's leading up to the academy. While Makoto's information gave him the rundown of Hope's Peak, the giant felt like there is something else that lies underneath the neat and pristine surface of the academy, something hidden, something that is kept secret...something dark.

"No time to dwell on that. All I need to focus on is how to avoid casualties because it's only a matter of time that either the demented bear will push the students further into committing murder, or if their minds will snap under the dark pressure of the predicament. While undeniable, we have to keep the future deaths at a very bare minimum," Katakuri said to himself.

Along on his journeys, he discovered a room that contains numerous screens and boards, something he never has seen before in his life. Whatever or wherever he is, it is definitely more advanced than he imagined.

But right before he continues to his train of thought, his heightened sense of awareness turned his attention to the entrance door. The giant let out a sigh as he is prepared for the worst reactions from whoever or group will see him again ever since from the gym. He'll try his best to not let them annoy him, key word try.

Thankfully, he relaxed as the first person to pop up in the dining room was Makoto, following him is his group. Makoto, Sayaka, Asahina, Kibo, Sakura, and Junko gasped at the wonderous and luxurious sight of the dining hall, amazed at the elegant design of it.

Makoto gazed around the hall taking in the glorious sight. The luckster turned to his left and let out a gasp as he found the giant sitting with his legs crossed and arms folded. The shocked expression then turned into one filled with happiness.

"Katakuri-san!" That earned the rest of the group to turn to Makoto's direction and like him, all of them gasped at the sight of the giant.

Katakuri nodded. "Makoto, it's been a while."

Makoto walked up to his friend. "Yeah, you can say that again. How was your search?"

At first, Katakuri was about to tell him about his encounter with Monokuma and how it leads to an intense confrontation, but he didn't want to include that into bringing the already dark mood of the situation even further. But then he also realized that if he lied to Makoto and his friends about that, that'll definitely give Monokuma an edge against him as blackmail to keep his mouth shut at risk of losing Makoto's trust.

Instead of answering him verbally, Katakuri pulled out his electronic handbook. Makoto and the group looked at the handbook in complete surprise. "K-Katakuri, where did you get a handbook? From what we've known, you're the only one out of all of us that didn't have a handbook."

"I came across our friendly headmaster earlier while I was venturing in the hallways. I stumbled across a security gate that leads to the upper floors of this building. Then he popped up wanting to mess with me and gave me the runabout of the security gate's purpose and how to progress," Katakuri replied.

Makoto cups his chin with a thinking face. "And I'm pretty sure that the only way for all of us to gain access to the other floors is to complete the class trial and catch the murderer successfully?" The giant nodded and let out a hum in response.

The luckster looks at the giant. "But wouldn't it be easier for you to break through the security gate and gain access?" He turns to Sakura with a sheepish expression. "I-I'm really sorry to say this Ogami, b-but..."

The martial artist nodded. "No need to apologize, Naegi. I can admit that he surpasses me by leaps and bounds. But doing that will only put our safety at risk."

"She's right, Makoto. If I do that, Monokuma would surely jeopardize our lives if I destroyed the security gate. During the confrontation, despite my extreme disgust, he was right about one thing. I can't disregard all of your lives out of some selfish desire to discover more of the school. Not worth the risk," Katakuri added.

The boy nodded as he took in their words. So much for an easy way out.

"By the way, why are you folks here?" Katakuri asked to change the topic.

Makoto brightened as he began to recall their earlier discoveries. "Mainly, we took a stop at our dorms and was amazed at their designs. Each dorm was built and designed to fit the resident's personality and talent."

Junko walked up and jabbed a thumb at the boy. "And poor Eggy here got mopy when he wanted to do comparisons to our rooms because his room was the default boy's dorm room."

Makoto chuckled nervously as he recalled his earlier funk from his insecurities as he scratched the back of his head. "Heh heh, s-sorry again for that."

Asahina walks up with her fists pumping. "And after we finished checking them out, we decided to head to the dining hall to grab a bite to eat since all of us are starving while giving each other info on what we've found on the first floor so far. Speaking of which, what have you found?"

"Along with this dining hall, kitchen, hallways, gym, and dormitories, I discovered a bathing area, the nurse's office, an incinerator to dispose of waste, the laundry room, a room full of screens and boards, and some kind of storage area. Beyond that, I also found that there are a few rooms that are locked at the moment," Katakuri listed off.

"The last two rooms you've listed are the AV room and the warehouse. Guess we spent so much time in the dorms and halls to have the chance to discover more of the areas," Sayaka said.

The swimmer's face caught an idea before she turned to the giant. "Say Katakuri, since you and Sakura are like crazy strong, is it possible that you two would punch the iron plates that are blocking the outside world?"

Katakuri shook his head. "I'm afraid that's not possible, Asahina. I've felt the iron plates during my search and even punching at my max strength, I'm incapable of even denting the blockade." But on the inside, even at his weakened state, he can easily destroy the iron plates with no problem. The only reason he didn't in the first place is because of Monokuma's promise to slaughter the students if he destroys any more school property.

 _'I don't even have to use any Armament to destroy them. Compared to my world, these things are like paper doors. But of course, I have to keep hiding my actual strength as to not shock them even more. Maybe later on down the line, I will reveal them my powers. Just not yet.'_

"I'm afraid this place has no vulnerable spots anywhere, Asahina. These plates are everywhere and I'm confident that there is a security lock that is on the gate Katakuri had found," Sakura offered.

Asahina frowned. "Darn."

"Don't worry too much on it, Asahina. We'll find a way out of here," Katakuri reassured.

The swimmer let out a nod as she let out a sigh. Then, a thought popped into Asahina's mind. "Oh! Hey Katakuri, I've been meaning to ask you. How in the world what you just did back in the gym? I mean, you just popped out of that massive scarf and hat after Naegi put them down like it's nothing! Like, I've seen a lot of things but I have _never_ in my life had ever seen something like it was out of a movie. What was that?"

Sayaka's face widened in surprise that she'd completely forgotten about the weird, freaky appearance he just did. She never saw something like that, not even remotely close. "Yeah, that's right! Like how...how did you do it? Was it something that involves your talent, or is it something else? Not even someone as Togami and Kirigiri could deny it. Not even that little magician girl could pull something off that extreme!"

"It just involves using mochi, I simply willed it to change my appearance," Katakuri answered nonchalantly.

Junko walks up with her bewildered expression. "Like, what do you mean 'willed?' There's nobody in the world who could be able to even come infinitely close of what you just did."

"Please forgive for prying into your business, but how was it possible for you to perform power, strength, skill, and speed beyond normal and superhuman capabilities? Not only you used a candy bean to destroy the machine gun, but you also picked Owada up like he's a paperweight. What kind of training regime did you use to reach such feats?" Sakura asked.

Katakuri turned to the muscular girl. "It's a secret training regime, one that will test even the strongest of wills. One that if you're not even the least bit serious, you will die," he answered gravely.

Makoto, Sayaka, and Asahina gulped at the notion, but Sakura, Kibo, and strangely enough Junko nodded slightly at that. While they know that there is more to it, they decided to leave it at that.

 _'Test the strongest of wills? Is it a training exercise that'll test your mind more than your body?'_ Sakura asked herself, wondering more about Katakuri's vague answer.

 _'Is it truly possible that I could be able to use physical strength even beyond my normal capabilities? Is it possible I could be even more of assistance?'_ Kibo said to himself.

 _'I've survived training that weeds out the weak from the strong, the slow from the quick, and the inept from the skilled. Is it really possible that his methods are more deadly than a mercenary's?'_ Mukuro thought to herself, feeling more unease as she is near his presence.

"But maybe in due time. I know my abilities are the elephants in the room, but for now, we should turn more attention to our situation at hand," Katakuri added with his normal tone, which eased the group. Even Makoto is not used to his menacing voice. The group knows it is unwise to keep prodding into Katakuri's life like that, especially after what happened the last time...ugh.

Then, the dining hall door is opened and the first newcomer is Kaito. The astronaut looked around the dining room amazed at the look. "Jackpot. I figured there'll be some peeps in here-"

Kaito stopped mid-sentence as he stared in shock and fear at the sight of Katakuri sitting along with Makoto and his group. The giant turned to the boy and raised an eyebrow. Kaito stood still with his mouth dropped and eyes bulged at the fearsome sight of the man who nearly made him want to faint. Beads of sweat streamed down his blue face as he drank up the sight. The ever creeping feeling of being stared at by the devil himself is back, and like before, Kaito wants nothing more than to dip.

"K-K-K-K...K-K-K..." Kaito stammered fearfully as he stared at Katakuri, who then returns back to his default expression, startling the astronaut.

Makoto turned to Kaito and tilted his head, oblivious as to why the boy looks so petrified. "Oh hey, Momota, what are you doing here? Are you okay?" The luckster's answer was Kaito's fearful silence.

"Oi, Kaito, what's the holdup?" A voice asked. Another person walks in behind Kaito revealing to be Leon who looks at him with an annoyed look. "Hey dude, why are you looking you're seeing a ghost? What are you-"

Like Kaito, Leon's face turned to a shocked look as he is now looking at the source of Kaito's terror. The baseball player stares at Katakuri, completely stunned from seeing the giant again.

The rest of Kaito and Shuichi's group followed with similar reactions as they turned and saw the crimsonhead once again in their sights. Shuichi was doing his best not to hide behind his cap, Ibuki nearly toppled over and mutter out jumbled out words with her eyes bucked out, and poor Yamada was doing his absolute best not to wet his pants after he and Hagakure were at the brunt and full force end of Katakuri's death aura.

Tsumugi almost jumped away at the sight. While on the outside she's just as shocked as the rest of Kaito and Shuichi's group, she's in full panic mode on the inside. She was hoping that she wouldn't cross paths with him, this thing...this monster.

 _'Oh no. Oh no no no no no...not him, not again. How am I supposed to work with it around? Why can't it just go away so I can think and plot in peace?'_ The blue haired girl pleaded to herself.

Makoto turned to Katakuri who was still staring at the newcomers as he's now aware as to why they're all freaked out. "Oh, don't worry. Katakuri won't hurt you, he's fine."

Kaito stammered as he turned to Makoto and his group and found himself even more shocked as to almost nonchalant and cool they are by standing near the frightening giant. "F-F-F-Fine? W-W-W-Why i-i-i-is he...h-h-here?"

Katakuri narrowed his gaze a bit, reeling Kaito and Shuichi's group a little more. "I was here first, working on my train of thoughts before Makoto and his team came in and we talked. The real question is why are you here? Are you here the same reason as they are, or are you here to annoy me with more of your whining and shrieks?" he asked seriously. Kaito gulped, feeling like his soul is froze stiff by them sharp crimson eyes.

Makoto let out a small chuckle. "Come on, Katakuri-san, don't you think you should go a little easy on them and more if any other groups come here? I don't want them to be the first to go to sleep." he asked with a slightly joking tone.

The giant's eyes turned to the boy. "Easy? I'm going easy on them as it is."

Asahina walks up to Kaito's group with a reassuring smile. "Hey guys, I know he's scary, trust me, I'm still not quite used to be around him. But if you want to know a few pointers as to keep being on his good side, this is what you have to do: stop being nosy. If there is one thing that I know so far that Katakuri gets irked, it is people wanting to get into his business. Just as long as you stay calm and avoid annoying him, he's pretty cool to hang around with." The swimmer's face turned to a dreadful one as she brought back the horrific memory of Katakuri's death glare. "And that'll also save you from going through a relapse as to what happened in the gym. Y-You don't want that."

Kaito and his group vigorously shook their heads at the last statement. They certainly don't want a repeat of being in Katakuri's deathly line of sight.

Sayaka turned to Katakuri with a slightly pouty face. "If I may ask, would you please stop bullying Kaito and them? You're scaring them to death."

Junko let out a short laugh as she took in their frightened faces. "Shoot, and like drain all the fun out of this? Sorry Maizono, but this is too rich for it to end," she said as she pulled a strand of hair behind her ear.

The singer turned to the fashionista with a slightly serious look. Junko stared back with her usual expression before finally letting out a sigh. "Alright alright, if you say so. You and Naegi should definitely hang out because you two are like mood killers." Makoto and Sayaka turned at each other with blushes on their faces and back to the fashionista, who is laughing at their reactions.

Asahina joined in on the laughter with Kibo and Sakura letting out smiles. Kaito and his group relaxed a bit from the uplifting mood with Katakuri shaking his head from Junko's tease. Unknown to her, Katakuri kept looking at Junko with an observing look. While he can't put his finger on it, there is definitely something...off about the valley girl.

While it is pretty stereotypical of blondes like her to be airheaded and teasing, the attitude seems to be a bit...forced if one might say. Even though Katakuri never knew of the girl, he does know that everyone has certain character traits and quirks that add to their personality. And as such, personalities are second nature. Makoto is determined and hopeful, but his meekness and unsureness add on to his insecurities. Asahina is bubbly, good spirited, and enthusiastic. Sayaka is sweet and kind with some firmness, Sakura and Kibo are supportive, and so forth.

But Junko...she seems to be...trying to appear to be the airheaded blonde that everyone sees at first. Another reason why he's thinking that way was because earlier from his conversation with Makoto and his group concerning about his training and how his training will risk life, he noticed that Junko nodded along with Sakura and Kibo. While the giant understood why the latter nodded, he expected Junko to be fearful along with Makoto, Sayaka, and Asahina. But she didn't. She looked like she also understood with Sakura and Kibo.

While Makoto and his group began to have conversations with Kaito's group to relax them and tell them of their findings, Katakuri remains to stare at the back of Junko's head. There's something off about the tryhard of Junko's personality and attitude, and Katakuri knows that he needs to keep a closer eye on the fashionista.

 _End of chapter_

* * *

 ** _AN: AAAAAND CUT! Whoo, talk about a lengthy chapter. Sorry that it took so long to put this one out. I was about to add in interactions from other groups like Hajime's, Sonia's, Togami, and Twogami. But June is like nine days from being over, and I'm sorry if the quality of this chapter feels like filler, which to me, it may be...but I tried my best to add as much character interaction as I can without having the story solely focus on Katakuri. While he is the main character, as I stated from previous chapters, this story will not be the Katakuri Show. Everyone will have the screentime and development and I hope I did all of you Shuichi fans justice by giving him more screentime._**

 ** _But don't worry, as the first day of Danganronpa, it's only a matter of time that someone will crack and they will shed first blood. Will it happen next chapter on the next day of the Killing Game? How will it play it out? You have to read and find out._**

 ** _Also, I have some great news! I finally got myself a job! Yep, after all this time ever since the fallout from my old college, I finally got a full-time paying job at a small family restaurant. While it is small, it is a step in the right direction to where I want and need to be. So I sincerely hope that my new job won't hinder my story updates. I will do my best to pump out more juicy chapters of this story and hopefully more on my new story. I will do my best to manage my time so that I won't have to wait like two months just to give you guys and gals a chapter._**

 ** _So, I hope that this chapter had some moments that touched you, made you laugh, or made you scratch your head as to what's gonna happen next. If anything else, please like, favorite, follow and review this story, constructive criticism is included. Any flames or destructive criticism will face the wrath of Katakuri's Mole._**

 ** _And as always, I will see you in the next chapter, which hopefully may be out between early and mid-July. See ya!_**

 **Beta-readers**

 **King Carlos**

 **Shadow of Life**

 **Brainstorming buddy: ZGMF-X13A Providence**


	13. Chapter 12: First Motive

**Chapter 12: First Motive**

"Huh, neat"-dialogue

 _'Uh oh'-_ thoughts/flashback

 **Ultimate Rockstar** -title

 **" _I'm better than you"_** -Katakuri's Future/Monokuma

* * *

 _ **AN: YOOOOOOO, WHAT IS UP WHAT IS GOOD, THE DDD...YEEEEAAAH, THE GOKUUU D. UZUMAKI here with a brand new chapter of The Ultimate Big Brother! First of all, thank you all so much for the many reviews, follows, and favorites, almost at the 100's, XD, yippee! Second of all, thank you all so much for the 22,000 plus views of this story, and it's still climbing, so many many hugs for all of you! Third of all, so sorry for my absence. With my new job and all, some days I work in the evenings for six hours, sometimes I work doubles, so I didn't have any time for me to start on a new chapter on any of my stories, so I deeply apologize for that. But the good news is that I am close on getting back to the college world, all I need to do is to sign up for a technical college and use my financial aid and the paychecks of my job and add on, buy me a nice vehicle and get started back into the world, but this time, more prepared. So I thank you all for your support for my long absence and hiatus.**_

 _ **Last time we left off, Makoto and his group met with Katakuri in the dining hall with Shuichi and his group following along with. So I decided to go ahead on to the meat and potatoes of the story. I will do my best to utilize this story's content to its full potential and make it original and exciting. And the title speaks for itself...well, just read and find out what happens.**_

 _ **Edit: Also, another thing...WOOOOOHOOOOOO! YEEEEAAAAAH BABYYYYYYY YYYEEEAAAAHH! AUGUST 2, 2019...THE FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF THE ULTIMATE BIG BROTHER! I wanna say thank you all for the one-year support y'all gave this story ever since it was launched. I cannot express my gratitude and love to you guys enough...I honestly cannot say but say thank you all so much. And for a little treat, our cast will give you the appreciation and gratitude you deserve!**_

 **Makoto: *gives thumbs up* Hey ladies and gentlemen, Makoto Naegi here and I just want to say from the bottom of my heart to say thank you all so much for the over 20,000 you guys and girls viewed this story. I really can't thank you all enough for staying with us for a year. Normally, stories in nonexistent sections such as this one get overlooked and sometimes the author either call it quits or be on an indefinite hiatus. But because of you giving us hope and motivation throughout the year, you sparked a fire in our author to keep this story going until the very end. And no matter what happens next, hope will never die out and this story will keep going as long as it-**

 **Monokuma: *pops out of nowhere* Upupupupu! Sorry to cut the sweet moment kiddo, but I'm afraid that as long as I'm here, hope will flicker away leaving despair in its wake and the story will be gone forever! Just imagining the dour looks on your faces when the author gives up and hang us up is...oh so sweet~~ Upupupu~**

 **Katakuri: But if you want the author to cancel, you will never have the little moments of despair you wanted out of us.**

 **Monokuma: *turns around and glares at Katakuri* What, why you-**

 **Katakuri: Why you nothing. If you want the so-called Ultimate Despair to overtake us, then why you said you desired to have the author cancel the story? Because, if I remember correctly, is disappearing from existence the true Ultimate Despair? Because you don't die, you'd be erased. And being erased is the same as not existing. Gone. Vanished. Forgotten.**

 **Monokuma: *seethes in fury* You cocky redheaded punk...**

 **Kyoko: Katakuri has a point. *walks up to Monokuma with her arms crossed* You seemed to be so lost in your fantasy world that you've forgotten that if you want us to vanish, you vanish as well, leaving the audience extremely disappointed and borderline angry by how the story hasn't gone into the best moments.**

 **Hajime: Exactly. We aren't even in the first act.**

 **Himiko: *yawns and pops beside Katakuri's leg* Normally that takes too much effort, but I don't want to go just yet. I haven't got a chance to practice my mana with Big Bro.**

 **Tenko: *whimpers* W-Why, Himiko-chan?**

 **Kaede: And besides, we have so much to do, why want to quit now?**

 ***The rest of classes 77-B, 78, and 79 agrees and began to complain to Monokuma, who grew angrier by the constant whining from the kids***

 **Monokuma: _AAAAARGH! ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT, OKAY! IF IT MAKES YOU SNOT-NOSED BRATS TO SHUT UP, THEN ALRIGHT! JUST GET OFF MY BACK!_**

 **Katakuri: *eye smirked* Good, now that that's settled, how about we get this started?**

 **Makoto: *grins* I agree. Who's going to be next to do the disclaimer?**

 **Monokuma: *waddles to the front of the stage* _Well, since you asked so nicely...let yours truly give our lovely guys and gals the legal rundown before we get this shebang started?_**

 **Makoto: *incredulous* Wait, what?**

 **Monokuma: _Anyhoo, without further ado...*ahem*_** ** _The following is a non-profit, fan-based fanfiction. Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, Goodbye Despair, and V3: Killing Harmony are all owned by Spike, Too Kyo Games, and Kazutaka Kodaka. Danganronpa: The Animation, Danganronpa 3: Despair, Future, and Hope Arc and Danganronpa Zero are all owned by Funimation, Toei Animation, Fuji TV, and Kazutaka Kodaka. One Piece is owned by Shueisha, Funimation, Toei Animation, Fuji TV, and Eiichiro Oda. Please support the official releases! Upupupupupu~~!_**

 **Makoto: *nervous* Why do I have a feeling that this chapter won't go well for us?**

 _ **GDU**_ **and Katakuri: Prepare for the worst, Makoto. Prepare for the worst.**

* * *

 **Day One**

 **First Floor**

 **Dining Hall**

 **5:13 p.m**

"Well, I'm glad to see that everyone here is in one piece still," Katakuri's baritone put the gathered group on edge a bit.

The mood went unnoticed with Makoto as he turned to Katakuri with a nervous smile. "Hey, Katakuri-san, I think you should talk to them a little bit...friendly?"

Katakuri turned to the luckster with his usual expression. "This is how I talk, Makoto. What, you want me to raise my voice a bit higher to sound more polite?"

Makoto let out a nervous chuckle as he scratched his head. "N-no, that's not what I meant. Do you think that you should let someone else take charge of the meeting?"

"Why should I? This is an important meeting and this isn't the appropriate time to let someone else take over just because they're intimidated by me," Katakuri retorted.

"Y-yes, that's true Katakuri-san, and I'm not saying it like that. I'm just saying that with someone more friendly, everyone will be in a bit higher spirits to lift the mood a bit despite the circumstances. I mean, I don't want to sound rude but, someone as fearsome as you taking charge of the meeting with everyone already on edge regarding the life or death situation over our heads. And I'm sure that they don't want someone so deathly serious to lead the meeting, adding more fuel to the fire," Makoto reasoned back.

Katakuri looked at Makoto as he regarded his words before turning his attention to the gathered groups of Kaede's, Shuichi and Kaito's, Sonia's, and Hajime's. He can feel the awkwardness and intolerable atmosphere radiating by the students' anxious reaction of him. Even though the giant wanted to refute and would tell Makoto that they should deal with it, he also agrees on the fact that with the situation already hanging over their heads, what would an 8-foot tall giant who can do anything will help ease the tension?

The giant relented. "Fine, I'll let you take the reins," he said.

Makoto smiled. "Thank you, Katakuri-san. I'm really sorry again." The crimsonhead let out a small nod as he focused back onto the task at hand. The boy turned to the gathered group and cleared his throat. "Welcome everyone, I'm glad to see all of you." Makoto's smile seemed to put the rest of the gathered group at ease.

Kaito grinned as he threw an arm around Shuichi's neck. "Heh, well after all the work me and my sidekick did today, there's no way we'd let you down."

Tenko folded her arms as she glared at the astronaut. "Tch, figures. I would expect that you let Shuichi did all the work, and then you taking in all the credit? Typical male behavior. Don't you think you so, Himiko?" her expression softened as she glanced at the redhead magician who sat with her new staff on her lap.

"Nyeh, I don't care," the petite girl grumbled with a sleepy expression before she shot a small smile at Katakuri. This made the Aikido Master gasp, as she stared at the gesture Himiko-chan sent to that king of degenerates.

The crimsonhead sat across from the table, with his arms and legs still crossed as he regarded Himiko with an eyebrow raise, which made the magician let out a tiny giggle. The interaction sent Tenko into even more shock, later turns to frustration as she folded her arms and glared at the giant, who didn't give her any regard.

Kaito turned to the blonde piano player. "By the way, Kaede, which students are in groups and who are they? It's best if we know who's with who and how the groups are coming along."

Kaede's eyes widened in realization. "Oh, that's right! We do need to keep track of who is in groups. The first groups are quite obviously us. Makoto's group is comprised of Sayaka, Asahina, Sakura, Kibo, Junko, and himself, with him as the leader, if I might add." She turned to the luckster with a sly smirk. "I see you're acting like the alpha, aren't you? Better watch out, Naegi-senpai."

Kaede's teasing made Naegi's face flushed red in embarrassment, which did not go unnoticed by Sayaka, Asahina, and Junko who giggled at his reaction. Sakura and Kibo let out small smiles, Katakuri shook his head by it.

The girl landed her hand on her chest. "And of course, this group consists of Himiko, Tenko, Nagito, Shuichi, Kaito, and myself." Kaede gave Tsumugi, Hifumi, Leon, Ibuki, and Rantaro warm smiles. "And since you five were the last in the gym, I guess it wouldn't hurt to add two more to the group, right Katakuri?" she turned her eyes to the giant who remained sitting during this.

He shrugged. "Just as long as you keep count and track of everyone, then I wouldn't see any harm of having a couple of extras in the group."

Kaede smiled as she turned to the group. "Good, then it's settled then. Tsumugi, Hifumi, Rantaro, Leon, and Ibuki are in our group, and the team captain will be...Shuichi!" she exclaimed as she pointed at the cap-wearing boy.

To say that Shuichi was shocked is an understatement, the boy is flabberghasted. He turned his eyes at the smiling girl as he pointing nervously at himself. "W-Wait...m-m-me?"

Kaede smirked. "Of course you, silly!"

Kaito let out a laugh as he clasped his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Hahahaha, well would you look at this! Little old Saihara is finally moving up in the world! Guess you've gone from the student to the master! Better learn your old master's training!" he teased.

Shuichi stammered as he felt his face heat up as he lowered his head slightly. "I-I-I-I...well...i-i-it's just that...I-I don't think that I'm ready for that level of responsibility. I-I-I think that Kaede should be in charge," he stammered shyly.

Kaede felt her cheeks heat up slightly as she glanced around the gathered group. "Y-You think I should be in charge?"

Saihara looked at the table timidly. "Uh well, it's just that yous et everything in motion. I-I think it would be fitting that you would be our leader," he admitted quietly.

The pianist was genuinely surprised by Shuichi's confession. She turned and looked around the group and she felt a strong sense of determination forming in her chest. "Well, if that's how everyone feels, I'll do my best." She looked around to see if anyone disagrees, but it never came. However, a few seconds passed before they heard the giant spoke up.

"Pretty sure that you're the only one who didn't already expect it," Katakuri offered.

"H-Heh, I guess so...either way I won't let you all down," Kaede said with an air of confidence as she looked around the table. "I'm pretty certain that everyone else is doing the same thing, but let's agree to meet here every morning. Beyond that...let's avoid being alone throughout the entire like...i.e. Togami. I guess the only thing we need to do now is to stay with our groups until we head to our dorms when our curfew is met." As her words fell across the table, the students' voices all rang up in agreement with Kaede's plan.

Rantaro folded his arms. "Now that we got our game plan set, I think we should be get started on who is in the other groups since I have a pretty good idea of who's who."

Naegi turned to the boy with a smile. "Really, you really know the other groups?" he asked eagerly.

Rantaro nodded. "And I'm certain that he knows as well," he said as he nodded his head at Katakuri, making the students look at with surprised expressions, with the exception of Makoto since he knew of it.

Kaede's face fell into one of shock. "W-Wait? You know what the other groups are comprised of?!" she asked shockingly.

The giant nodded. "Indeed. I'm quite surprised that Naegi hadn't told you of this already," he said neutrally.

That made the luckster's mouth dropped as he quickly turned to the giant. "W-W-What?!"

Sayaka looked at Makoto with a stern expression. "Naegi-san, you mean you didn't tell us about what he can do?" she asked.

Makoto shook his head as he waved his hands. "N-N-No, i-i-it's not that at all, it's just that-"

"He forgot," Katakuri answered factually.

Katakuri's answer made the poor boy choke on his words. Makoto stammered as he received a light scolding from Sayaka and Asahina as everyone else chuckled and laughed at his misfortune. Unknown to all of them, underneath Katakuri's scarf is a very small smirk.

"Anyways, would you two please tell on what who is the others with? The suspense is killing me," Junko said.

Katakuri leaned back in his chair slightly. "Well, in the warehouse area are Fuyuhiko, Mondo, Akane, Gonta, Nekomaru, Peko, and Ishimaru," he said.

Asahina blinked a couple of times. "Huh? I mean, I guess I can understand some of them...but Taka? Why would an honor roll-esque hall monitor such as himself be doing with those two knuckleheads? And Gonta too, he is such a gentleman."

"No doubt trying to not let those two butt heads against each other, but combine their hotheadedness and Ishimaru's uptight attitude, that'll spell trouble. As for that tall dude, I can't honestly say," Leon mused.

"Let's have a little faith in Ishimaru. Sure, he can be a bit strict on his code, but he does it with the best intentions, and I'm sure that he's playing a great mediator in that hotspot. Plus, I think Gonta can be great if things get physical," Makoto chuckled halfheartedly.

Leon shrugged. "Fair enough."

Rantaro nodded. "Indeed, in Sonia's group, there is Hagakure, Kazuichi, Angie, and Gundham," he rattled off as he drummed his fingers on the table.

Maizono shivered slightly. "The only odd one in that group is that Tanaka. Something about him gives me the creeps."

"If I have to hear one more thing about his Four Devas and his world domination, I will scream," Junko grumbled.

Himiko uncharacteristically let out a small grumble as she heard the animal caretaker's name. "That Gundham...one day, I will show him that my power is beyond his..." the girl declared as she gripped her staff harder.

Tenko looked at the girl with a proud smile as she heard her. "And your big sister Tenko will help you defeat that crazy male! Your power is beyond his!" she exclaimed excitedly.

The petite girl's face turned into a bright smile. "And with Big Bro's help, I will definitely achieve that goal!" Himiko cheered. That made the Neo-Aikido girl stopped in her celebration as she gawked at the beaming magician. B-Big...Bro? You mean...she already have an older sibling...a male?! The poor girl's heart ached by the notion and in turn, a tiny pang of jealousy emerged from within.

With Katakuri, all he did was looking down to avoid suspicion as he's doing his best not to flush at Himiko's nickname of him.

Ibuki hopped up and down. "Ooh ooh ooh, Ibuki wants to join Sonia's group! They sound a whole lot of fun! Ibuki wants to go, Ibuki wants to go!" the musician cheered excitedly as she gripped Leon's arm, surprising him.

Kaede looked at them confused. "W-Wait...you actually want to be in their group?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

Leon was about to speak but Ibuki cut in again with her energetic attitude. "Well duh, Ibuki wants to see how much more fun will it be to be among her friends. Ibuki wants to go, please let her go, oh please please please _please?!"_ she begged cartoonishly with her actually in a kneeling position.

Everyone stared at the hyper musician with the same perplexed and off-put look on their faces as they cannot put a finger on Mioda. Kaede shook her head and let out a small smile. "If that's what you want, then you can go join. They do need some more team players, right?" she complied happily.

Ibuki's eyes sparkled in joy. "YESSSS! YES YES YES YES YES YES! WORLD OF FUN, HERE COMES IBUKI!" she cheered as she's about to be on her way. However, she was stopped by Leon who finally gets standing in this as he stared at the musician with an annoyed expression.

"Hold on a second, missy! If you would stop bouncing around like a bunny rabbit, you would probably know that you don't know where they are," Leon stated, making the hyper girl wilt a little by the truth. Fortunately for her, and _unfortunate_ for him, Ibuki's answer is given.

"It's simple really. They're in Sonia's dorm room. Not far from here actually," Rantaro answered with a small smile. Leon turned to the boy with a betrayed look as Ibuki's wilted mood instantly sprang back up.

"D-Dude?! W-Why would you say that-" Leon's rant was cut off again as he was being dragged by the hopping Ibuki heading towards the door with a toothy smile on her face. Everyone watched in amusement and slight pity for Leon's misfortune and Ibuki's quirkiness as they are heading to join with Sonia and the others.

"W-Wait! Dudes, dudettes, please help me!" Leon cried as he was being further pulled towards the door against his will despite his might to get away, but to the baseball player's shock, Ibuki has some surprisingly upper arm strength.

"Well Akamatsu-chan, thank you for letting us join in! Ibuki hopes you to best of luck, and we will still see each other in group meetings, right?" Ibuki called out to the pianist, who looked around the room for a bit before giving the musician a smile.

"Sure, by all means," she replied.

"Yaaaaaay! Come on, Leo boy, it's time for us to meet our new leader!" Mioda called out as she opened the door to head on to Sonia's dorm room, with her laughter contrasting with Leon's cries and pleas of help to get him out of the grip.

"NOOOOOO! PLEASE HEEEEEELLLLP-" Leon's cry was cut off by the door closing, leaving the entire dining room in silence at what just happened. Nobody said anything, nobody _could_ say anything. Like, what else is there to say after seeing something so...random.

Junko blinked a couple of times before marching off to the door with an unusual blank expression on her features. "I'm going to my room to clean myself off a bit. Come to my room if anything happens...this is too much even for me," she said to no one in particular before she left the room, with the group still in babbled and gawking silence and not affected by her leaving.

Finally, after a few minutes of stunned silence, Kaito finally spoke up.

"What in the hell just happened?" he asked incredulously. His answer came in the form of the others shaking their heads as they can't come up with an answer as to what happened.

"Mioda. Ibuki Mioda happened," Katakuri answered in monotone confusion.

For once, everyone agrees with Katakuri on this one.

Ibuki Mioda happened.

* * *

 **Day One**

 **First Floor**

 **Dormitories**

 **6:58 p.m**

Mukuro let out a long sigh as she shut the door to her dorm room.

By now, the rest of the students are either continuing on their ventures, still having their meeting, investigating their dorm rooms or some already sleeping in. The disguised girl locked the door behind her as she reached up and pulled the blonde wig off her head, releasing her short black locks. She discarded it on the nearby desk as she took several steps before collapsing on the bed.

She closes her eyes momentarily to ease off the stress of disguising as her polar opposite sister, as she ran her hand through her hair. Playing Junko was beyond exhausting. Everything has to play overly dramatic and exaggerated. Furthermore, it had to be believable or anybody would've seen through, even worse, the real Junko would not be pleased by her poor acting.

She continues to lie on her bed as she regarded her experience of being around that Katakuri. That name alone sent shivers down the girl's spine as she vividly remembered the cold, shuddering, sickening feeling when Katakuri unleashed his aura on everyone at the gym, how she remembered feeling like staring at literally Death in the face.

That...thing was not expected in the plan. Everything he does is acting against the natural flow of the plan, and like a quick-witted soldier, she adapted and did her best to keep her from being discovered, because she knows that once Katakuri can see through her act, it's all over. Everything that Junko had planned and laid out for her plan of Ultimate Despair, will be ruined.

The girl continues to stare at the ceiling as she let out a sigh. Shortly after, she closed her eyes and her relaxing face turned to a neutral one while still having her eyes gazing at the ceiling.

"I know you are there, might as well come out," Mukuro called out without turning her attention from the ceiling. In the far left corner of the dimmed room, a small sound of waddling resonated with the source belonging to Monokuma who'd seemingly materialized out from the shadows.

 ** _"Phooey, you sure know how to ruin an intense moment,"_** Monokuma chortled, as he waddled to the center of the room.

"Well, I'm sure that you had plenty other ways to keep yourself entertained," Ikusaba mused as she sat up from her bed to look at the two-toned bear.

Monokuma let out his signature laugh as he rubbed his paws together. _**"Isn't the despair in the atmosphere just delicious? At this rate, they're gonna start tearing at each other's throats before I even give them the first motive."**_ he snickered.

"Junko, they're quite resourceful even without their memories. Honestly, I don't know how you're going to keep track of so many of them at once. We have a couple of them like the Imposter, Kirigiri, Celestia, and Maki and them. The plan to scavenge the academy despite the situation was rather intelligent."

The bear let out a chuckle. _**"Don't worry your pretty little head about it, toots. Let me do all the thinking on how to break them. I'm sure someone is already considering how they're going to get past their situations."**_ he guffawed loudly.

Mukuro crossed her arms with a thoughtful expression. "Anyways sis, they're not the biggest issue to worry about. We need to talk about the elephant in the room. A really _big_ elephant in the room," she insinuated.

Monokuma waved her off with his paw. _**"Nah, I'm not too worried about Katty. Leave your dear old beary to take care of him. I know how to handle a person like him."**_

The girl's eyebrows furrowed. "Don't be stupid, sis. Didn't you remember how he effortlessly destroyed that minigun? How a flick to a jellybean turned that military-grade weapon into scrap metal? And let's not forget the fact that he didn't have a graze on him after you unleashed your weapon on him. His talent, I don't know what it is, but both of us know that it's certainly not earthly, per se," she stated seriously.

Mukuro looked down at the floor as she vividly remembered her feeling of dread back in the gym from Katakuri's aura. "Also, didn't you felt that too, sis? The way he unleashed his aura onto everyone? It's like, unlike anything I've ever felt in my life...it was like a demon...a literal demon was staring at me right in the face. The way I felt so...insignificant, so tiny...so small..." The girl looked up at the bear who remained silent with a nearly traumatized expression on her face. "Junko...I don't what, I don't know why, and I especially don't know how...but even a person like you has a limit for your love of despair. Whoever this 'Charlotte Katakuri' is...he's a monster. A literal monster."

The room remained silent after Mukuro warned Monokuma on Katakuri. The two-toned bear remained silent as he stared at the frightened girl. _**"Well, if that's the case...tell me your honest opinion on Katakuri, missy,"**_ he spoke in an unusual monotone voice.

Mukuro stared at the deadpan bear momentarily before lowering her head down as she let out a sigh to calm her nerves from the memory. With an almost robotic tone with a slight tremor, she gave her response.

"In all honesty, Junko..." Mukuro let out a trembly sigh before finishing. "He terrifies me."

The mechanical teddy bear continued to stare at the terrified girl with his unreadable expression. Mukuro couldn't stop her body trembling from telling her twin sister her true feelings. There's one thing Mukuro knows that makes Junko annoyed or downright furious, is the admittance of her feelings.

Like an obedient soldier in battle, Mukuro's best talent is being the **Ultimate Soldier**. And like a soldier, she remains standing at attention, follows orders given by a superior, and most importantly, does so without complaints or questions.

Besides, a soldier is not supposed to have feelings, right?

Mukuro's head snapped up by the bear's cackling. Monokuma bellowed with uncontrollable laughter before reeling back in control as he wipes his eye. _**"Oh my, that is just precious! A battle-hardened soldier, scared by a freak of nature!"**_ Monokuma slyly waved his paw. _**"But don't you worry your pretty little hair about it, toots, let your good old' Monokuma take care of the monster for you!"**_ The bear waddled his way to the same area he materialized from with the girl watching him.

Before he takes his leave, Monokuma turned around. _**"Oh, and one more thing...well,**_ **three _things in fact."_** Monokuma lifted one of his claws. _**"Please don't blow this out of the water, keep being more Junko-y for me to avoid suspicion,"**_ he stated.

He lifted another claw for his second point. _**"Two, don't worry about Katakuri. He may think he knows it all, but little did he know, I got him right where I want him. And three..."**_ Monokuma's normally gleeful face suddenly shifted to a cold, emotionless expression which put Mukuro's nerves on end a bit. _**"Please spare me your feelings. You're a soldier, for Pete's sake. You're not supposed to feel anything, let alone fear. Besides, the only thing you**_ **should _be afraid of is failing me, do me a favor, and grow a spine."_** he stated grimly.

Mukuro had to do her absolute best not to feel intimidated by her younger twin sister's glare at her through the mechanical bear. Her face grew grim from the bear's mention of her feelings. Why is she feeling saddened by the notion? Do the insults and demeaning nicknames gave her the rush of despair she used to feel? Why is she...feeling something?

The grave expression on Monokuma's face was lifted instantly as he twirled around like a ballerina. _**"That's more like it! I would love to have this lovely and motivational chat with you, but I have to arrange a little something for the students! Oh, and by the way, you have company heading your way, so I would stop the moping and start the acting! Toodle-oo~~!"**_ Monokuma marched back to the shadowed corner of the room with his signature laughter before it faded away as he once again disappeared in the dark corner, leaving the conflicted girl to her thoughts momentarily.

Mukuro stared at the spot where the bear disappeared with a slight grimace. She couldn't help but feel terrible by her sister's nonchalant attitude towards her, which was not normal from the last times she treated her as such. The girl let out a sigh to try to calm her thoughts for overtaking her reason before she stood up and walked towards her desk where her wig is and picked it up.

The dark-haired girl stared at the wig for a moment before once again giving out a sigh until she puts the strawberry blonde wig on her head and adjusted it. Monokuma said that someone is coming to her dorm room for something and they will be expecting Junko, not some bland, boring, statue of a girl.

Besides, as he said, she has a job to do: to keep deceiving the students until she is _executed_ for her to continue helping behind the scenes. And like a good soldier in battle, her orders are absolute and she must complete them at all costs, even if it means sacrificing her humanity. Feelings and emotions only get in the way, she knew better than that. One of the many aspects that separate a good soldier from an elite is their obedience, discipline, efficiency, and a complete logical mind that blocks all emotions.

A soldier is not supposed to have emotions.

A soldier is not supposed to express themselves.

All they're good for is following orders.

.

.

.

Right?

*doorbell rings*

The ringing of the doorbell snapped the disguised girl out of her mental tirade. Mukuro walked to the door and let out another sigh for her to put on her Junko persona. "Who is it?"

"Junko, it's us, me and Asahina."

Mukuro opened the door and sees Sayaka and Asahina standing with an expectant look on their faces. Junko raised her eyebrow. "What's up, gals?"

Sayaka spoke. "We just received an announcement from Monokuma that we all need to go to the A.V. room for something important. Apparently, after you left, he popped up and told us to head to the room and he wants all of us to be there as soon as possible."

"I don't know what it is, but I certainly hope it's nothing too bad. He told us that we all need a 'motive' to help us to progress, which is completely stupid that he's still treating this like some kind of sick game," Asahina added with a frown.

Mukuro became surprised by the sudden turn of events. Why in the world did Monokuma would hand out the first motive on the first day? The original plan was to give them their first motives on the third day, as a way to catch them off-guard when they're relaxed. Maybe it has something to do with making the students turn on Katakuri? Perhaps it's a way to get rid of Katakuri so that the game could progress as planned. Smart move.

Giving a slight pause, Junko huffed. "Guess we have to get this over with. I was about to start perming my hair, but apparently I have to put it on hold for that stupid bear's meeting," she scoffed.

Asahina and Sayaka chuckled at that. "Whatever it is, we wouldn't let it get us down and make us turn on each other as those guys did at the gym hours ago," Sayaka said confidently.

"I know we won't because with all us standing together and keeping each other sane, none of us will have to kill each other or turn on each other!" Asahina added pumping her fists.

Junko laughed. "You said it. Well, let's get this over with. Lead the way, girls." Junko walked out of her room and closed the door and followed the two girls to the A.V. room for the meeting.

* * *

 **Day One**

 **First Floor**

 **A.V. Room**

 **7:13 p.m.**

Makoto walked into the vast A.V. room and found that half of the students had already sat down at their respective desks with the computers on their default screens. Looks of anticipation, anxiety, and annoyance were on their faces as they are awaiting as to what message their demented headmaster would bring them. Swallowing down his nervousness, the boy walked into the room and found his desk and sees a pair of headphones attached to the computer.

Makoto looked around the room and counted that the rest of his group, Hajime's group, Shuichi's group, and Katakuri aren't present yet. The luckster sat down and rested his head on his hand as he looked around the room, waiting for his friends to arrive. Makoto couldn't help but looked around the room and feel this growing feeling of dread on what Monokuma wants with all of them.

Thankfully, his worries were put at ease when he heard the door opening and saw the rest of his friends walking into the room. Makoto waved at them and they waved him back before they walked to their assigned seats. Sayaka sat next to him and waved at him, making him blush with her giggling at his fluster.

Asahina sat down in front of him and looked at him. "Hey Naegi, where's your friend?" she asked.

Makoto shrugged. "I don't know. He left to do something more worthwhile after the meeting, I hope he'll come," he replied.

Sayaka cupped her chin thoughtfully. "There are forty-eight of us, maybe there isn't a computer assigned to him. Most likely it has something to do with his height, he'll look pretty awkward sitting down on these low chairs."

Junko shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. "Well, I mean, if you're as someone as freakishly tall as him, you wouldn't want to cramp yourself in this tiny room. There are struggles with being tall."

"There certainly are troubles of being tall."

Makoto and everyone turned and looked at the giant walking into the room by crouching before standing back to his height. Makoto's smile grew wider as everyone else became more uneasy with the crimsonhead in their presence.

"Hey Katakuri-san, where have you been?" Makoto asked.

Katakuri turned to the boy. "I've been doing some more looking around this academy after the meeting. When I came back, I've noticed that everyone had left, no doubt that bear did some of his tricks. And where else would a large gathering of people go to other than the gym?" he replied.

Makoto nodded. "That's true. What else did you find from your ventures?" he asked.

But right before Katakuri could answer, the screen at the front of the room lit up and went into static for a few seconds until it cleared up and it showed the two-toned animatronic sitting in a swivel chair with his usual grin on his face. Everyone either tensed up in anxiety, frustration, or anticipation. Either way, they're expecting something not good from the bear.

 _ **"Welcome boys and girls to the A.V. Room! Sorry to have to make this mandatory meeting so early, just have to make a sliiight change in the schedule of your enrollment in Hope's Peak Academy,"**_ Monokuma announced happily as he twirled his paw with the students waiting for another bombshell the bear's planning to drop.

 _ **"But right before I begin, I would kindly ask to have the extra student to leave the premises so I can speak to these students,"**_ Monokuma tilted his head. _**"Yes, I'm talking to you Katty."**_ Every head turned to the back of the room and stared at the giant with his arms folded and his eyes narrowed in suspicion at the sudden request.

"I'm not surprised that you want me to leave, but to ask you a question, _why_ do you want me to leave this room? Afraid I'll do something that'll counter of what you're about to do to them?" Katakuri queried.

Monokuma grinned further. _**"No, I believe the reason why is because of 1.) you're a complete freak. 2.) You're an unofficial student here at Hope's Peak High. But most importantly, 3.)...disobedience to the headmaster would result in immediate punishment,"**_ Monokuma's grin grew wider, sending the students into more unease by the insanity in his visage, but to Katakuri, a complete annoyance. _**"And since you're practically immune to all of my punishments, I wonder how would you feel if I send these kiddos in the wringer because of your insubordination, hmmmm?"**_ Monokuma added threateningly.

Katakuri held back a 'tch' from the threat. He doesn't want to endanger these kids' lives over his stubbornness, but at the same time, he doesn't want to leave them to this crazy bear's clutches and let him run whatever scheme he came up with to push them even further into their breaking point. And God knows what will happen if any of them snap under the pressure.

"Katakuri-san, it's okay. We'll be okay, I'll meet with you after this," Makoto reassured.

Katakuri looked at the boy and saw his smile, nervous yet certain. The giant took a good glance at the rest of the students and saw their faces with expectant looks of him leaving the room so they can stay alive, but at the same time, they don't want him to leave that makes them vulnerable to Monokuma's schemes.

The man let out a sigh to calm his rising nerves to not let the bear get under his skin. "Alright, I'll stand out here. Let me know what happened," Katakuri said.

Makoto let out a small nod. "Don't worry, Katakuri-san. We'll be fine."

Katakuri turned to the two-toned bear who was watching the entire thing with his usual smug grin with his arms crossed. The crimsonhead shook his head slightly before turning. "Well alright then."

The giant walked away and left the room, leaving the students to their demented headmaster of what they are about to know about the meeting. The students remained staring at the door of where Katakuri was before they hear coughing that grabbed their attention.

Monokuma sat back in his chair twirling a glass of wine snickering. _**"Alrighty, now that Bigfoot has left the building, I believe it's time that we get this meeting underway,"**_ he said, earning some grunts from the students.

 _ **"Remember of what I've said about that if one of you murder each other and not get caught and that you can go home scot-free? Well, how about I decide to be kind for the first time and give you guys and gals a little motivation to get you guys out of this place?"**_ Monokuma asked as he recapped the graduation part of The Killing Game, earning some confused expressions from the students. Sensing their confusion, the bear continued. _**"Then take a look at your computer and there should be a disc. Pop that baby it and receive your motivational video! Have fun!~"**_ Monokuma said in a sing-song tone before the screen cut to static.

The students looked at their respective desks and spotted blank DVDs that have their names on it. The gray disc and almost sloppy handwriting of their names brought more tension in the atmosphere. Makoto looked at his DVD that says 'for Makoto Naegi', written in both English and Japanese. Makoto turned to Sayaka and Asahina and they both looked at him with the same nervous yet firm expressions on their faces. The three of them nodded at each other and put on their DVDs and put on their headphones to watch their messages that are supposed to be 'motivational'.

Makoto's computer began to load from the computer processing the DVD. After it's finished, the screen showed Makoto's family, his mom, dad, and his younger sister, Komaru Naegi. All three of them are sitting on their couch in their living rooms with smiles plastered on their faces.

"Oh my, where do I even start? We're just so unbelievably proud of you, Naegi darling!" Naegi's mom said cheerily with her hands clasped.

"This is a pretty big deal, buckaroo, just to let you know that you do great!" His dad added with a grin.

Makoto's nervous expression turned to a relieved and hopeful smile as he's hearing and seeing his family again after a long time being disconnected from the outside world. If he wasn't so engrossed in seeing his family, he would've heard the other students' similar reactions of seeing and hearing from their loved ones either from their family or really close friends.

Komaru pumped her fists in the air as she stared back at Makoto. "Just keep doing your best, big bro! But you better watch out because your little sister is coming right for ya!"

Makoto let out a chuckle at Komaru's challenge and shook his head slightly. But right before his family was about to say something else, the screen abruptly became static with the recording still showing his smiling family. The smile dropped from his face as he was put-off by the switching out between static and his family. Finally, the interruption was over but the last image was one that will put Makoto Naegi in an even deeper state of horror and fear.

Instead of the bright image of his family sitting on their couch congratulating and motivating him, the image's color palette became an ashen grey, the couch ripped in half with large rips exposing the stuffing of the couch. Windows shattered, glass shards scattered everywhere, revealing nothing but blackness behind the broken windows. It looked like something after an apocalypse.

But that was not the worst part. The absolute worst thing about this disturbing image was the absence of his family. No mom, no dad, no Komaru, nothing. It's like they were either gone to avoid the destruction of whatever had happened or they perished in the destruction. The image stayed like that for a good ten seconds with screeching ambiance noises until the recording cuts to black with the computer's grey screen emerging another message.

Want to know more, Makoto Naegi? Find out after graduation.

As if the message could be ever more taunting, the dastardly bear's face tilted side to side in a playful manner, as if that face was mocking and laughing at the poor boy's distress.

Makoto let out a choked gasp as his eyes widen in sheer horror of the recording. A tidal wave of thoughts overcame his mind with too many unanswered questions and variables to even count. Like what the hell just happened? How did this happen? When did it happen?

But we all know the most obvious questions were these three: Where is my family? Are they alive?

Is this some sort of low, dirty, cold-hearted, and manipulative trick by Monokuma to make them lose hope of getting out of here if the only thing they'll found was a barren, war-torn world with their family and loved ones nowhere to be seen, either missing or dead?

Or...Makoto's stomach churned as his face grew green by the mere thought of the question emerging its ugly head...dare he ask...

Is this real?

Real or not, the message was motivational, but not in the way they were expecting. All of the students were either shocked, horrified or furious at the doomsday recording they received with the same ending of the fate of their loved ones. Those like Himiko, Hiro, Hifumi, and Hiyoko were crying their eyes out, completely terrified and disturbed by the video. There are some like Fuyuhiko, Owari, and Owada who grew livid by the video of seeing their family and friends harmed by the rejected bear.

Naegi's body shivered and trembled in fear concerning his family's fate. To add more fuel to the fire, whether he will live to find out is entirely up to the students' choices to not murder each other and find an alternate way out, which the chances to that are almost zero.

The luckster shook his head side to side slowly as his mind has been overcome by fear and horror. "T-T-This...c-can't be happening..." he mouthed shakily. He removed the headphones and threw them on the desk. "I-I...I gotta get out of here!"

Makoto's hysterics was cut off by a horrific scream that was next to him. The boy turned and saw Sayaka throwing the headphones off and backed away from the computer and sat down by the wall. The bluenette's face darkened as sweat was pouring down her face along with tears of fear. Her frame trembled like a leaf as she covered her head murmuring.

"I gotta get out of here, I gotta get out of here, I gotta get out of here..." Sayaka murmured fearfully, chanting the same sentence like a mantra. The pop singer stared at the floor almost lifeless and soulless as she could not believe what she just saw and heard.

"Maizono," Makoto called out softly. His concern for his friend's well-being overtook his panic. He stood up from his desk and walked over to Sayaka's computer and found an image that was just as horrific as his.

Sayaka's recording was a still image of a group of girls wearing frilly dresses, most likely a part of Sayaka's band, and all of them are lying on stage with the stage-lights broken and the stage in ruins. Just like his, whether they are unconscious or dead is completely unknown. And to add insult to injury, Monokuma's face was on screen, taunting them.

Makoto was horrified and disgusted by the sight as he turned to the still trembling girl. He then turned to Asahina who sat by his right and saw a look of disgust and dread while holding her mouth, as if doing her best not to puke by the sight she was seeing.

Naegi had to do the same thing as he was looking at an image of Asahina's little brother being dragged by dark clothed assailants wearing emotionless masks, unconscious, with his bedroom in complete disarray and ruin.

The boy raised his hand shakily as he snapped out of the image to do his best to comfort his aquatic friend. As his hand touched her shoulder, Asahina jumped out of her chair and flail her arms, startling Makoto. The girl abruptly stood up from her chair and her fearful expression calmed down by the slightest by the sight of Makoto's face.

"Hina..." Makoto called out as he reached his hand out to her with her recoiling a bit. Asahina took a deep breath to calm her racing nerves but she's still traumatized by the image.

"N-N-Naegi...i-i-is h-he..." Asahina asked shakily as she hugged her body.

Makoto shook his head. "No, he's not-"

 _ **"Oh ho ho ho! What do you guys think? Wasn't that the most tear-dropping motivation recording you've ever seen?"**_ Monokuma asked as he wiped his eyes in a mocking manner, further rubbing the salt in the wounds. _**"Nothing more heartbreaking than seeing your loved ones' faces motivating all of you to leave this place as soon as possible."**_

Everyone in the room was shell-shocked, horrified, and furious as they are still processing what just happened. All the students were too much in horror and shock to even hear of what the demented bear just said. All they were thinking about was the fate of their loved ones and whether or not they are okay.

Yasuhiro stood up holding his head with his eyes threatening to spill tears. "W-W-What did you do...t-to m-my...Mama!" he cried.

"M-M-Mommy? D-D...Daddy?" Hiyoko whimpered with her lips trembling, hugging her shaking, tiny frame in an attempt to comfort herself, but Mahiru quickly stood up and hugged her and the pigtailed girl released her cries.

Akane stood up and bared her teeth at the cackling Monokuma with her eyes glaring at the bear. "You...You little sack of shit...WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY BABY BROTHERS AND SISTERS?! WHEN I FIND OUT WHO YOU ARE, I WILL TEAR YOU LIMB FROM LIMB!" she snarled while making ripping motions.

Owada and Kuzuryu marched up beside the gymnast with a furious scowl on their faces as well. "Not until I get to him first, I'll make him regret the day he was born!" Mondo bellowed with his right eye twitching.

"After I disembowel him and leave him to the dogs," Fuyuhiko added with a cold, furious expression on his features.

The redhead photographer glared at the bear with a furious look in her eyes with tears forming at the corners. "You monster! What did you do to our parents?! Our friends?! What have they done to you?!" she screamed.

Monokuma twirled in his chair still with a gleeful smile. _**"Oh, nothing too bad really. But if you guys actually paid attention to the video, you will find out for yourself. And besides, it won't be much fun to spoil the ending, you know what I mean?"**_ he asked rhetorically.

Kaede stood up and slammed her palms on her desk with a horrified and disgusted look on her face. "You're extremely sick, you know that right? Just what exactly are you trying to gain all of this? Is this some kind of revenge scheme, some evil plan, what is it?!" she demanded, with many other students agreeing as well.

Monokuma rubbed the back of his head bashfully. _**"Well, I would've normally asked you to ask me nicely, but what the heck, I'll give you a little leeway. What do I want to gain from all of this?"**_ he asked.

The next split second, the screen showed Monokuma's face being extremely close-up with the most menacing, frightening, and maniacal expression he ever pulled with his sinister eye glowing at the students, reeling them back. His grin touching the corner of his ears, his face taking up the entire screen, glowering over them in this state of oppression and terror.

And the demented bear gave his reason in the most wicked and twisted way ever possible.

 _ **"What I want...I want your dEsPaIr,"** _he replied insanely and menacingly.

His answer sparked a bloodcurdling scream from Sayaka as she dashed out of the room to avoid the menacing Monokuma. Everyone turned their attention away from the demented bear and followed the screaming, terrified girl that ran out of the room. Makoto, Asahina, Sakura, and Kibo rushed out of the room to go after her to stop her panic, leaving the room just in time to not hear the mad cackling of the twisted demented bear.

* * *

Katakuri who was standing outside in the hallway waited for the students to come out once the so-called meeting will be over. The giant kept his train of thought focusing on the goal of leaving this place alive and well without letting the kids getting pushed to the brink of insanity.

Suddenly, the door to the A.V. room was pushed open harshly making the crimsonhead turned and looked at what is happening. He sees the blue-haired girl Sayaka running out of the room with a panicked, horrified, and terrified look on her once normal features with her face darkened with fear.

Without thinking, in one quick motion, the giant stopped the running girl with his arm and held her in a firm grasp, picking her up. Yet still, his grasp doesn't stop Maizono from screaming in terror.

"Ahhhh! Let me go, let me go! I gotta get out here, I gotta get out of here!" she shrieked, struggling to get out of Katakuri's iron grip.

"What happened, Maizono?" he asked.

"No! No no no! I must leave this place, I must! I need to know if they're still alive! Let me go!" Sayaka screamed frantically while still putting up a futile attempt of breaking out of his grip.

Katakuri turned around and spotted Makoto and the rest of his group running out of the room. The group stopped in the tracks as they spotted Katakuri holding their friend in a grasp. "What did Monokuma do? What happened?" he asked with a firmer tone. The pop singer said nothing but continued with her fruitless struggle.

Makoto reached up and grabbed her wrist and looked into her panic-stricken eyes. "Maizono, calm down! We're gonna get out of here! Your friends are safe!" he cried.

But his pleas fell on deaf ears as Sayaka glared at the boy with a hateful look in her eyes with a gleam of insanity in them, reeling the boy back a bit by the sight. "No! You don't get it, Naegi! This is all your fault! If you haven't brought this freak of nature into our midst, we would've known if our loved ones are still alive!"

Makoto flinched by the accusation and while even though he knows this is the desperation and terror speaking, he can't help but feel guilty by her words he became crestfallen. This doesn't go unnoticed by the rest of his group as they turned their attention at the wriggling girl who was still screaming at the poor boy.

Maizono was now starting to snarl and bared her teeth at him. "But now, thanks to you and him, we are gonna die in here without knowing whether they are alive or not! I hope you got your surprise, Naegi, I hope it's worth-

 ***SLAM!***

Katakuri let go of the singer for a split second before he grasped her by the waist and slammed her into the wall, cutting the singer's hysterical rant off harshly with a yelp. While it was not a hard slam, it still was effective enough for Sayaka to stop her insane yelling. Makoto and his group were taken aback and gasped by the level of intensity from the impact. Even though Maizono needed to snap out of her despair induced insanity, that was a little too much to get her attention.

The impact gained the attention of the rest of the students as they rushed out of the room and gasped by the sight of Katakuri holding Maizono in such a brutal grip. While to most of them it was shocking, to some, they were infuriated by the level of brutality the giant did to a girl who was at the brink of despair and desperation from the horrific video.

For instance, the Neo-Aikido girl marched up with a snarl on her features as she glared at Katakuri. "This piece of scum thinks just because he's big, he can bully us around? And he really thinks that Tenko Chabashira will let this disgusting sight get passed her?" she growled as she cracked her knuckles and put on a stance. "This Tenko will not stand! Tenko doesn't care anymore, Tenko is here to save you, Sayaka!" she screamed out.

Tenko charged at Katakuri who was paying no attention to them and only ran faster in hopes to catch the giant off-guard and give him the beating of all beatings. Tenko will show this degenerate king that as long as Tenko Chabashira is here, no girl will be harmed by any degenerate male in her sights!

But right before she gets into arm's length ti Katakuri, her charge was cut short by an arm that was in front of arm, making her stop. She looked to glare at the person who would dare stop the righteous onslaught she was about to unleash upon the giant. But her anger instantly turned to thunderstruck shock as she saw that the person who stopped her was none other than her idol, Sakura Ogami.

The fighter stammered as her mouth was dropped agape by the sight of her role model stopping her from doing justice. She stared at the beefy girl with widened eyes and a dropped mouth. "M-M-Miss...O-O-Ogami? W-W-Why?" she squeaked out. "W-W-Why are y-y-you s-s-stopping Tenko from giving that f-f-filthy degenerate king his desserts?"

Sakura gave the girl no answer but she continued to stare at the scene with Sayaka and Katakuri with an intense look. She, along with a few others know that there is a reason behind what Katakuri is doing. Even though she doesn't trust him fully, she knows that Katakuri is a man of logic and that his actions have a reason, even though it is a bit intense.

Sakura is not alone in her thoughts. Makoto and his group continued to watch the scene, knowing that Katakuri would not harm Sayaka for no other reason than to snap her out of her hysteria.

Sayaka grimaced as she shook her rushing head to soothe the blow. She never felt such pain in her life, nor felt any sort of physical pain in her life. The girl opened an eye as she looked at the glowering giant, who was glaring at her with a hardened, steely gleam in his eyes, making her flinch by the intensity of his sharp eyes.

"Maizono, I don't know what happened in there that made you act this way, but I know that yelling, screaming, and blame-shifting will not solve anything but increase hysteria and tension. I don't know what happened to your friends, but I do know that they are alive," Katakuri stated firmly.

Maizono shifted her eyes to the crimsonhead with a doubtful and almost bitter expression in her features. "How would you know if they are alive? They could be dead already as far as we know," she asked.

Katakuri loosens his grip slightly. "Because I know that what use would they be if they are dead. Think about it, Maizono. What other reason for that bear to harm your friends other than to horrify and anger you?"

Anger flashed in her eyes as she couldn't believe that he would have the nerve to ask a question concerning her friends. She has more time to try to search for them than to answer such unnecessary questions. "Are you really asking questions in such a time like this? Our family and friends are in danger, they could be alive or dead as far as we know, and all you want to do concerning them is to ask questions?!" she shrieked, making the students stare at the hysteric pop singer who raised her voice at the thing who can easily pick her apart with one finger.

They were expecting the giant to retort back in a harsher tone that'll make Sayaka wish she hadn't raised her voice at him, but shockingly, Katakuri didn't do any of the sorts. But instead, he loosens his grip and puts her down.

With a firm yet calm tone, he answered. "Because they want you to do the same. Look at what you're doing now concerning them. If they are here and they see you acting like an animal and lashing out at everyone...Naegi...your friends. Look." Katakuri nodded his head to the direction of Makoto and them. Sayaka turned and her eyes and expression softened at the sight of the students looking at her with concerned looks on their faces, concerned for her well-being.

Naegi.

Suddenly, Sayaka's mouth dropped and her eyes widened in shock as she finally realized the words she spewed out in anger and panic at the blameless boy for the uncontrollable situation. She covered her mouth with her hand as tears began to form at her eyes with painful regret of her harmful words. At Katakuri. At Naegi. Her friend. Her fellow detective.

Katakuri's eyes softened a bit. "Take a look at your friends. Would they accept that behavior coming from you? Monokuma wants you to lose your mind, and worse, make you betray your friends' trust for your selfish gain. We will get out of this place, one way or another, without having to resort to meaningless violence and shifty eyes," he said.

Sayaka walked to the ahoge boy who carried a small smile on his face, holding his hand out to her. Makoto remained standing along with Asahina who walked beside him with tears in her eyes. She walked to the singer and wrapped her in a warm embrace, making her shudder a bit from contact.

"Maizono-san, *sniff* I know you're terrified right now about your friends...don't you think I'm feeling the same way about my baby brother? Every time I think of him, I feel like I wanna scream my lungs out until I turn blue in the face," Asahina said shakily as she patted Sayaka's back. Taking a deep breath, the busty swimmer continues. "But I know he won't want me to do that, because that'll give what _he_ wants..." Asahina spat the word out like it's venom. "And I don't want to see or hear his stupid, ugly face mocking and laughing at me...so that's why I will keep fighting." The swimmer released the hug and held Sayaka's shoulders and stares at her with a warm smile as she wiped her tears away.

"And I know your friends or family want you to do the same for them. Besides, Sakura, Kibo, Junko, me, and Naegi, all of us are your friends. So let us help each other, to get out of this place so we can find our friends and family!" Asahina finished boldly with a confident smile.

Sayaka's mouth dropped from the speech the swimmer, her friend, gave her. Katakuri is right, she has new friends. Friends that will help her get out of here, alive and well, to meet their loved ones. To help defeat that bear together, overcome despair with hope. The girl turned her attention to Makoto, who walked up to her with a comforting smile on his face. Asahina backed away a bit to let Makoto say his piece.

But the luckster didn't say anything, he decides to let his action do the talking. He immediately hugged the trembling girl, patting her back. Sayaka's shocked expression suddenly changed to one filled with regret and shame from the harsh words she spewed out at him. She needed to she's sorry, but her guilt is seizing up her throat, choking the words in her mouth.

As if he can read her mind, Makoto spoke. "It's alright, Maizono. It's alright."

Two words, those two words are enough to finally break Sayaka's mind, as her knees buckled down and collapsed, with Makoto kneeling down with her still in his embrace. With a deep breath, the girl finally let out her cry of anguish, pain, regret, and newfound strength.

"I-I-I'M SO SORRY, NAEGI! I-I...I'M SO SORRY, I'M SORRY!" she wailed painfully, her voice cracking with each apology she gave out to the boy, who is doing his best to hold in his tears as well. "I...I'm so scared...we...we need to get out of here..." she whispered.

"Don't worry, Maizono. Don't worry...we will, all of us will," he reassured calmly.

Couldn't take it anymore, Asahina walked up and kneeled beside the duo and joined in on the hug, letting out her tears as well. Sakura walked up and laid a hand on Hina's shoulder with a solemn expression which speaks volumes of her newfound promise of helping her friends and everyone here to leave this place without having to resort to violence. This, she vows with her life.

Kibo stood next to Sakura with a determined expression of his own. Despite being a robot, he still is capable of feeling emotion. And the emotions that are going through his head are sadness for everyone's situation concerning their loved ones' safety, anger at Monokuma for torturing and playing with their emotions, and determination for helping his friends of escaping this prison of a school.

Meanwhile, among the rest of the students, Junko stood with a hesitant expression on her face. While she is doing her best to blend in with the students who are watching Makoto and his group comforting Sayaka, the disguised girl couldn't help but feel conflicted.

Mukuro knew the feeling of despair, the same feeling when Sayaka and the rest felt when they watched their videos of their loved ones' abduction. And for some reason, she felt...ashamed in a sense, since she partook in the invasion of their loved ones' homes and their abduction and unknown whereabouts. Despite the urging feeling to walk up and comfort the poor, traumatized girl...another part of her is halting her in her tracks...her obedient side.

The side that fears her other sister, the side that will follow any order Junko gives to her and will do it to perfection. One that was not supposed to partake in the emotions of the students. One that will do anything to seek approval and praise from her sister, to not fail her, to make her proud.

Besides, soldiers are not supposed to feel, right?

Steeling her swarming mind, the disguised girl walked up to her group and stood beside Kibo and looked down at the hugging trio with a sympathetic look on her features. While she's doing this to avoid suspicion from the other students that she doesn't care about her teammates, she couldn't help but feel...happy by helping someone in need. Maybe having a friend is not so bad.

While Katakuri stood, taking in the scene of Makoto and his friends comforting and reassuring Sayaka, the giant took notice of the pigtailed girl's hesitance of joining in on the comfort. Anyone with enough observation would be able to take in that minute yet important display of hesitance and uncertainty. Whatever this Junko Enoshima's deal is and what she's up to, Katakuri will find out eventually, for Sayaka's sake, for everyone's sake, for Makoto's sake.

Katakuri's train of thought was broken by faint laughter. The giant looked behind the throng of students and mute out Sayaka's crying and took in the laughter that was emitting from the room. It didn't take long for Katakuri to take in the mocking, mad, and insane laughter from the animatronic bear.

Whatever what just happened in the room, whatever trick Monokuma pulled that put everyone on the edge of desperation and anxiety, whatever made some students, Sayaka, Asahina, and nearly Makoto cry, made Katakuri's forehead pulsed in fury. The crimsonhead's eyes shadowed from the annoying beat's laughter. Hearing it not only making him angry but also made the students angry. The endless, droning, mocking, deranged laughter Monokuma's making drove Katakuri to the edge.

Without saying a word, Katakuri marched past Makoto and the students, gaining their attention, as they watch the giant making his move. Katakuri walked up to the entrance to the A.V. room and took a good look at the big screen in the poorly lit room, with only Monokuma's face brightening it up. The bear's face was close up and his sinister eye glowed a deep shade of red as his face made the students feel powerless and helpless, his twisted smile touching the corners of his ears. Katakuri didn't want to see what Monokuma had done, seeing Sayaka and everyone else's distress and sorrow was a good enough answer as to what happened in there.

With a hardened look, Katakuri grabbed the handle of the door, gave the cackling bear another menacing glare which made the watching students flinch a bit, and slammed it shut, silencing Monokuma's ridiculing laughter, leaving the hallway in still silence.

* * *

 **Day One**

 **First Floor**

 **Dining Room**

 **8:20 p.m**

The entire dining hall is full of silence, uncomfortable and tension-filled silence after Monokuma gave them the first motive. While some of them are almost depressed from the videos they've watched, most of them stared at the ground, no doubt trying to shake off the dark thoughts involving either how to get out of this prison, how to find a way to destroy the bear, most likely both.

Katakuri was sitting in his chair, taking in the expressions and atmosphere the students are giving off, knowing that whatever Monokuma just did made them even more desperate and morale shook than ever. The whimpering and trembling from people like Toko, Mikan, Chihiro, Himiko, and Hifumi. The scowling from Owada, Akane, Leon, and Kaito. The stone-faced expressions from countless thoughts storming through their minds like Kyoko, Celeste, Ryoma, Twogami, Hajime, and Maki.

The crimsonhead turned to the almost brooding luckster who sat beside him, watching the floor along with the others. "So you told me that Monokuma gave all of you videos that were supposed to be _motivational_ , turned out to be footage of your loved ones' disappearance?"

Makoto cleared his throat before speaking, with his voice slightly lower. "Y-Yeah...he showed us what happened to our friends and family...my mom...dad...sis..." The boy let out a shaky sigh from the mere thought of his family in danger.

Everyone in the room silently grumbled in agreement with Makoto's extreme concern about his family's whereabouts.

Yasuhiro looked up with his face blue and his eyes almost spilling over. "Dudes...my mom...w-what are we supposed to do now? I-I don't even know what to do next..." he muttered pathetically. The continued silence only served his answer.

No one knows what to do next concerning what they've witnessed in the room. What would they do after they basically watched snuff films of their family and friends getting abducted or lying either dead or unconscious?

What are they going to do now?

"We continue finding a way out."

The students turned to Katakuri who had his arms crossed and his face in a very deep, thoughtful expression. "I know my answer may seem insensitive to most of you, but if we continue to stand around and fester in on what Monokuma gave to all of you, it'll only serve to make some of you collapse under the pressure and give in to the urges to do some...depraved things," he stated.

Of course, some students looked at him like he's heartless that he would tell them to carry on after what they saw on what happened to their loved ones. Such an answer was met with some rebuttal.

Mahiru turned to him with an angry look. "You insensitive jerk, don't you a thing call being sensitive? How could you say that after what we've just saw?!"

Kaito looked at him with a shocked expression. "R-Really dude, y-you really expect us to just mosy and carry along as if that crap Monokuma pulled didn't happen?" he exclaimed.

"M-Mama...y-you really want me to forget about the fact that my mama has tape around her mouth like an animal?! That they kidnapped her and took her off somewhere and I'm stuck here don't know where she is or how I-I'll get to her?!" Teruteru screamed as tears streamed down his face.

Toko stood up from her seat and pointed at the man accusingly. "Y-Y-You heartless beast! H-H-How c-could you say such a thing a-after what I just saw on what happened to my p-pet bug!" she screeched. Even though she received some stares about what she valued, they couldn't deny the amount of value her 'pet' meant to her.

Then Tenko sneered. "Tch, as expected from the king of degenerates. After seeing what happened to Tenko's dojo, Tenko would do anything to see if her dojo is still standing. And Tenko would not let a degenerate such as yourself tell us to move on after such a thing!" After her words, everyone else added something they want to say to the giant by calling him to be insensitive, heartless, cold-hearted, rude, arrogant.

"Enough," Katakuri boomed. That was enough to stop the clamoring and made the students pay more attention as to what he has to say.

"If you want to be in all in your unpleasant thoughts about your loved ones' well-being and risk yourself becoming a cold-blooded murderer, then so be it. But if anyone pulls such a stunt, you would only make yourself a target and will be executed if you get exposed, then you will kiss your dreams of finding them goodbye," he stated neutrally, making the classes cringe by the thought of themselves getting executed and not seeing their loved ones again, period.

"But if you give in into the desperation, then you will only give Monokuma what he wants. Your best option to leave this place is to continue where we left off." Katakuri turned to the clock on the wall. "We only a little more of an hour of free time to continue where we left off. Either it'll be exploring, getting to know each other, or finding an alternative way out of this place. Anything is more effective than standing around being mucked up from Monokuma's trick." he finished.

While everyone was still stunned by what they watched, and while some are still in the dark landscapes of their minds, they've found some sense in the giant's words. Toko, Tenko, Mahiru, Teruteru, Yasuhiro, and them that accused Katakuri wilts as they sat back to their seats after they can't refute Katakuri's reason.

Kaede turned to the giant with a faltered face. "I-I'm sorry to say this, M-Mr. Katakuri, but like...h-how can we start?" she asked sadly.

Katakuri turned to the pianist. "If it's too much for you to handle, then you can be able to sleep in. As I said, we have little more of an hour of free time left before our curfew hits. Hopefully, we'll be able to make some progress in the morning," he replied receiving a few nods in response.

A few moments later, Fuyuhiko stormed off with a stone expression on his face. "I'm getting the hell out of here. Come on, Peko."

"Coming, Young Master," she replied as they went out. Then, a few seconds later, everyone else followed suit with either dead-eyed, sullen expressions or weeping, sad faces as they went out their way to do something or go somewhere that is not the dining hall. The only people that remained are Makoto and Hajime's groups, as they also have sunken expressions on their faces.

Katakuri lets out a sigh after the majority of the students' departure. Clearly, Monokuma's trick did more damage to them than he realized. Playing someone at their most desperate and use it a weapon to manipulate them into doing something so depraved such as killing? Hmmm, Doflamingo would be proud of whoever is behind this. Katakuri closed his eyes and went into his mind to try to think of a way that'll help them get an advantage over Monokuma, no matter how small it may seem. It'll be better than nothing.

However, unknown to Katakuri, Chihiro walked up to Hajime and poked him at the shoulder, gaining his attention. The boy looked at the programmer and asked him what is it? Chihiro leaned up and whispered something into Hajime's ear which made the boy's sullen face turned into one filled with hope. Hajime nodded after Chihiro asked him of something, and like a domino effect, Hajime told his group of what Chihiro said and they all have the same expressions that they agreed with Chihiro. The group then told Makoto's group who also agreed with them as they all gave each other collective nods as they all went to the door and left, which made the giant get out of his train of thought.

At first, Katakuri thought that they all went off on their separate ways to cool down after the motive, but he was proven wrong by a shy voice calling out to him.

"U-U-Ummm..M-Mr. Katakuri?"

Katakuri turned and looked down and saw the **Ultimate Programmer** Chihiro looking at him with a timid look on her face.

"What is it, Fujisaki?" he asked.

The programmer touched her fingers. "W-Well...ummm...I-I was just wondering..I-I have a plan..I-I may have something that'll help...us to learn more of this place...and get us out of here..." she suggested softly, already feeling ashamed for even telling him.

Katakuri's eyebrows perked up a bit by it. "Oh, and what do you suggest?"

Chihiro was honestly surprised that Katakuri wants to learn more of what she has in the plan, but decide to not her hopes too high. "I-I was thinking that maybe...I can be able to look into Hope's Peak files and look up the recent history and see what happened before we woke up in this place...and m-maybe find a way out?" she added. "T-The others are already there to meet up after they left...I-I told them...I-I was just hoping that you will come to?"

To say that the giant was surprised would be an understatement. He was honestly surprised that someone as meek, timid, and shy as Chihiro would ask someone as ghastly as him to join her on her way to do something that'll not only help them with finding a way out of here but for him to be able to learn more about the history. It may sound selfish, but he needs to get priorities out of the way first. No doubt Monokuma will do whatever he can to squash Fujisaki's plan, but the programmer is confident enough to pull it off. Deep down inside her fragile frame, she has nerves of steel.

"O-Of course...i-if you don't want to...I-I don't mind at all, it was pretty stupid of me to even ask you to-"

"I'll come with you."

Chihiro's eyes widen in shock. "W-What?"

Katakuri stood up and walked to the door. "I'll follow and accompany you along the way. You got a plan, stick to it. I know your plan is better than everyone else's of doing nothing but be in their own thoughts, which are not good I might add."

The programmer continued to stare at the crimsonhead giant with a look filled with shock and awe. She honestly did not expect Katakuri to say yes to her plan, _her_ plan. Chihiro Fujisaki, a tiny, scared little girl's plan. Fujisaki's shock then turned to happiness as she was even more eager to do what she needs to do to help get them the edge over the situation concerning their lives and their loved ones.

Chihiro let out a small nod as her shocked gape turned to a smile, a shaky one, but a determined one. "A-Alright then, please lead the way to the room, Makoto, Hajime, and they are already there."

Katakuri nodded. "Well then, let's go." No need to say anything else, the programmer marched on as Katakuri opened the door and the last two left the dining room to head off to the A.V. room where their groups are so Chihiro will do something that'll help give them an advantage.

* * *

 **Day One**

 **First Floor**

 **Dormitory**

 **8:57 p.m**

Celestia sat on Twogami's bed idly curling a strand of raven hair around her digits as she watched the heavyset boy paced back and forth through his room. "Hmmm, I would say that your anxiety is showing, darling. Perhaps you should take a seat to give it a rest?" she suggested with her usual poker smile that is strangely forced.

Twogami paused in his stride as he gazed at the girl. He had no high goal or anything of the sort in regards to his group, most of them are comprised of social outcasts. "We're still too exposed. Without knowing more about everyone, it's hard to anticipate who might be a greater threat. It's only mandatory that we anticipate all the variables we can," he replied matter-of-factly.

The two heard a sigh coming from the corner of the room, they see that it came from the former **Ultimate Tennis Player** , Ryoma Hoshi. "You have to stop looking at things at such a naive perspective. It doesn't matter whether you know the person or not, the chances of someone cracking under the urges to spill blood will transpire, no matter what we do. Even that giant agrees that the best chances of all of us leaving this place alive is by limiting the opportunities, but we can't stop it."

The boy scowled at the prisoner. "Are you always this pragmatic?"

Hoshi let out a small sigh. "I'm a realist, a hardened realist. I know life so much that you know the positive and negative aspects of it. The sooner you accept this fact, the better you will approach the situation. So stop stressing yourself, you can't control everything," he mused as he took out his candy cigarette.

"I'm afraid I must agree with the inmate, darling. All this pacing and brooding will only put wrinkles on your features," the lolita mused as she rose to her feet before dusting her dress off.

Twogami scrutinized the duo before closing his eyes as he's ready to take in their honest opinions on the situation concerning their group. "Well then, you two tell me what's your take on the group."

"Would you prefer the sugar-coated version or the hard truth?" she smiled lightly.

"I believe he already knows the answer," Ryoma frowned.

The girl let out a light chuckle. "Very well then. I wouldn't call myself a psychiatrist but I will do my best analysis. Hiyoko is definitely someone to keep in mind. Even though her tongue is very sharp and her attitude is clearly uncouth, mainly coming from some rough background, she doesn't act like someone who will be regarded to murder someone. She acts more like a spoilt child than a psychopath," Celestia explained.

Ryoma chewed on his cigarette. "Kirumi is more on the calm and collected side. She's very composed and highly intelligent. I take in the reason why she chose our group instead of the others was because she was more concerned with tending to us. I don't know much about her, but I know that she's not the type that would be easily prompted into murdering someone. I do say so myself, she is quite skilled in her talents."

Celestia let out a little nod in agreement with Ryoma's opinion with a small smile. "Indeed, isn't she?" Then her smile turned into a slightly disgruntled expression. "Teruteru is an uncouth, vulgar pervert. Even though he's a coward and that planning something as big as murdering someone requires a strong stomach, I could definitely see someone can easily persuade him into doing such vile actions."

Ryoma turned his attention to the ceiling. "Korekiyo. I have no other feelings towards him than unsettlement. He's honestly a mystery, but I would definitely put him on the watch. Other than his intelligence, he needs to be kept an eye on."

Celestia heels clacked as she began to pace herself as she's in a deep mindset. "Shinguji's not the only one, darling. The one that we must be on a constant watch is that Kokichi. He's what exactly what you expect out of him: mischievous, a lying tongue, one that actually takes joy in this horrid game. That's a lot coming from me. I'm dubbed as the Queen of Liars, but even I have trouble spotting all of his duplicities. Whether it be something so menial or something so critical, anything that comes out of his mouth could be a lie. He's definitely in the top people to keep a constant lookout on."

The heavyset boy frowned before taking off his glasses to clean them. "Alright. Then tell me, what do you two think of me?"

Celestia chuckled amusedly. "You're quite an enigma yourself. Even though you look exactly like that arrogant Togami, you act nothing as such. I know that among those that are good, you mean well of what you do."

Ryoma let out a sigh. "I'm just going put this out there since everyone is very much dodging it..." The inmate turned his dark eyes at the duo with a stone serious expression, meaning that their answer must be straightforward. "What do you guys think of Naegi's new friend? It's pretty obvious that you have the same thoughts as I do."

Twogami's frown grew deeper and Celestia's poker smile dropped and in place is a frown. If one could detect even the slightest hint in the girl's frown, one could see that it contains fear, if one could be keen enough to see. And luckily for her, the perceptive prisoner didn't detect it.

The heavyset boy pushed his glasses up on his nose as he looked down at the ground. "If I have to be completely honest, Katakuri is a monster."

Celestia nodded as she agreed with him fully. "I must agree as well. That...man is clearly an unstoppable force. If it wasn't for Monokuma's threat of having us executed if we break any regulations, he would destroy that puppet in less of a heartbeat." She let out a sigh. "He's infinitely stronger than all of the fighters combined, his strength and speed is beyond human comprehension, his talents are...*sigh* I'm afraid I'm at a loss for words."

Twogami sighed. "Indeed. That man is truly an enigma, he's obviously not from Japan or any other country that has people like him. And even if there are, the whole world would've known by now. It's obvious that he's hiding his background for other reasons, which is quite honestly, may sound distrustful but then again, who else wouldn't be cautious around complete strangers?"

Ryoma closed his eyes as he recalled the dreadful feeling of being stared down by the giant, of how he was reminded of what fear is like. "His eyes...his eyes would pierce even the most hardened, sickening, and vile of individuals. It was as if...we were ants in front of an elephant..." he added grimly.

The entire room felt cold by Ryoma's words as Twogami's face grimaced from the experience, and Celestia is doing her absolute best of not letting her poker face crack from the massive amounts of fear she felt when she was being stared down by Katakuri. They continued to stand still as they're recalling their horrible and almost traumatic experience of having that feeling of dying in front of a man that can easily stomp on them. It's obvious that despite their seeming cool and collected demeanor, they and many others like them can agree on one thing, while anomalies such as Korekiyo and Kokichi should be aware of...

Katakuri is the main one to watch out for.

* * *

 **Day One**

 **First Floor**

 **A.V. Room**

 **9:21 p.m**

"So what's the plan, Chihiro?" Hajime asked quietly, as he stared around the dimly lit A.V. room. There is only a single computer that is illuminating the room.

Hajime's group consisting of Chihiro, Chiaki, Mikan, Kirigiri, Mahiru, and Miu and Makoto's group with him, Sayaka, Asahina, Sakura, Kibo and among them is Katakuri came back to the room to see what plan the petite programmer has in store. Junko went off to her room to get herself some early shuteye.

"Fujisaki is a prodigy when it comes to computers. Perhaps if she can manage to hack into the Mastermind's network, maybe we could be able to find some information concerning the reason behind our imprisonment, maybe the plans behind this game, and whoever is behind all of this," Kirigiri answered quietly.

Makoto's eyes widened. "Wow, that's really brilliant Chihiro. Could this actually work?" he asked softly as he stared at the programmer who sat in front of the computer.

"Well, there's only one way to find out, right?" Asahina offered quietly as she put her attention to the computer.

"Let's hope this works..." Chiaki added as she put her game down to pay her full attention to the little programmer at work.

Miu chuckled. "Fuck yeah. Once we find out about all of this, we will find that son of a bitch and rip his head off in the worst ways imaginable." She grinned as she gripped Chihiro's shoulder,s making her jump slightly. "You rock, tater tot! You got this shit packed down!"

"Iruma, it would be wise to keep your mouth shut unless you want us to be caught by that bear," Katakuri furrowed his eyebrows slightly as he stared at the busty blonde. Like the flip of a switch, her submissive side took over at his deep tone, as she meekly nodded her head with a shaky frown/smile.

"Y-Y-Y-Yes s-s-s-sir..." Miu stammered meekly, feeling ashamed of her behavior in front of him.

"Chihiro, whenever you're ready," Katakuri said in a calm tone before he peered at the screen.

"I'll do my b-best," Chihiro said in a timid tone yet with a slight determined edge to it.

Having already turned the monitor, she continued to boot up the computer. There was a small flash of light as the display on the screen came into focus of the Academy's emblem popped up as the background. The shy programmer began to set to work writing a program. No sooner as she was halfway finished of inputting her program to access the files did the computer abruptly turned off. This left the group in the dark in a sense of confusion. Suddenly, the overhead light flickered on.

"What happened...?" Hajime asked to no one in particular.

His question earned a tired sigh from Katakuri as he figured out what's going on. "Guess who..." After he said his two words, a familiar and dreaded shape landed on the desk, startling all except him.

The two-toned bear emerged from the shadows and pointed at the group with a claw. _**"Ah ah ah, just what do you think you naughty boys and girls are doing? You know you shouldn't mess with things that would make your headmaster angry, but trying to peek into my privacy?"**_ Monokuma's face grew red as he growled out in childish anger. _**"Why I oughta say screw the rules and just execute you all for trying to break into my privacy!"**_ he glared at the now terrified programmer and by extension, the other students.

Monokuma turned his glare at the trembling girl. _**"You...you sniveling, nosy little brat...I thought I didn't need a rule for this, but clearly, you know what you were doing but I oughta reprimand you severely for this!"**_ Chihiro's eyes were now starting to fill to the brim with tears as she was overtaken by absolute terror.

"What do you mean? I don't remember you ever saying we couldn't do something as looking over computers." Hajime stepped in quickly to defend the petrified programmer. Even though he's feeling terror himself of being in the mad gaze of the bear, he couldn't forgive himself if he didn't do anything to protect Chihiro in a moment like this.

Monokuma sneered at the boy. _**"Well, I thought I was pretty thorough and that rule was self-explanatory, but it seems I was wrong. Seriously, you kids have no respect for other people's privacy. Tampering and hacking into the A.V.'s computers are strictly forbidden, and for that, she must be punished!"**_ he exclaimed.

"No, she does not," Katakuri stated calmly as he stared at the angry teddy bear to stop him from threatening Chihiro. "You clearly stated that if anyone of us broke a rule that you established, you will punish the offender, fair enough. However, since that rule was not written down into the regulations, then it is void." The sadistic bear made no retort or moved from where he stood on the table, as he bored eyes into the giant than to the other students, who all agreed that Katakuri's right.

"He's right. To inflict punishment on someone who did something that was not against the rules you enforced, that will only make you turn on your word," Chiaki added calmly as she stepped in to help Chihiro beside Hajime.

"Exactly, if you do this, then you will only prove yourself to be a hypocrite. You will not lay a single paw on Chihiro's head, you beast!" Asahina exclaimed as she glared angrily at the bear as she stepped beside Chiaki.

"Dishonesty and dishonor at its finest. Doing such an act will be low, even for you," Sakura stated with a hardened glare as she stepped behind Asahina.

"I couldn't agree more. You want to break your own codes and rules as you go, then you can't consider yourself headmaster material," Mahiru added as she folded her arms as she steps beside Asahina.

"However, if you want to make yourself feel good, you can enforce the rule at your discretion. But, you cannot punish us for rules you have yet to create," Kyoko responded with a sharp glare as she stepped beside Hajime, Chiaki, Asahina, and Sakura.

Kibo walked next to Sakura with a hardened glare of his own. "How would I call myself assisting if I don't do anything to protect our friend from someone as fiendish as you?"

"So you better keep your filthy hands away from her! We do not have time for any of your games!" Sayaka glowered with a furious glare as she stood next to Kyoko.

Mikan wobbled her way beside the group with a shaky yet determined expression on her features as she stared at the bear. "S-S-S-She has done n-nothing wrong to you...s-so back off!" she stuttered with a bit of steel in it.

"Shit, everyone is acting all cool and all. You wanna fuck Fujisaki, then I will rip your fucking stuffing out and shove it up your ass!" Miu grinned as she stood next to the nurse before jabbing at Monokuma.

"Miss Fujisaki is our friend, and we would not let you do anything to her for something so unfair. You want to get to her, you have to go through us first," Makoto proclaimed boldly as he stepped behind Chihiro's chair.

The programmer blinked a bit as she looked between the group. She could not believe that so many people, especially Katakuri are standing up for her, it was such a bizarre feeling...yet at the same time...wonderful.

Katakuri raised an eyebrow. "So what would it be, Monokuma? Would you inflict punishment on her and thus proving yourself to be a biased, unfair, untrustworthy moron of a headmaster, or are you going to let us off the hook? Either option you do, you will be making yourself look even more stupid."

Monokuma growled as he found himself in a corner by his own mistake. He stared at the group protecting that whiny girl from him, how cute...and sickening. The thought of it is making him want to vomit. He shook his head and let out a huff. _**"Grrr...ah alright, alright. Geez, you guys are gonna give me a headache. Fine, I'll look over this, no need to be all pissy."**_ He turned his attention back to Fujisaki. _**"I'll let you off with a warning this time. However, I expect you to not do such a thing again unless you have full permission to. You guys better be thankful that I'm so lenient or I could really punish you for staying up past your curfew!"**_ he laughed behind his paw as he gave the students a glare, making them flinch.

 _ **"Upupupu, I'm just kidding. You guys can run around after your curfew, after all, it makes it easier for one of you to turn up dead. But anyhoo, I'm off to add more regulations to your e-handbooks. Bye-bye for now!"**_ he waved before turning around and jumped behind the desk and disappeared without another word. Another long silence filled the room before the students let out a pent up breath.

Speaking of pent up, Chihiro let out an open cry after Monokuma left. The luckster and gamer placed a comforting hand on the trembling girl's shoulders before Asahina, Sayaka, and Chiaki whispered soothing, comforting words to calm her nerves. It took several moments, but Chihiro finally calmed down before wiping the rest of the tears from her eyes.

"W-W-Well...t-that was a bust...Guys...I...I-I'm so very sorry for dragging you guys into this...guess even people like me make stupid decisions..." Chihiro apologized with a sad look on her face.

"No, you're wrong." Chihiro looked up and saw that Katakuri was looking at him with an unusual softer expression that teased his neutral face. "Your plan was an efficient one, it would've helped us plenty but as you see, that accursed bear's face is plastered all over the place, so it was bound to be shot down. But never undermine yourself, Chihiro. If Monokuma wasn't around and you had enough time, we would've gotten to the bottom of this mess," he said. The programmer's eyes blinked as she was surprised by the normally menacing giant's kind words to her.

"R-Really, y-you really think so?" Chihiro asked hopefully with her eyes bubbling with awe a bit.

"He's right, Fujisaki. This was a risk, but I'm glad you were willing to take the chance," Makoto offered with a beaming smile of his own.

"Exactly, you should be proud of yourself," Kirigiri offered a weary smile that contrasted to her usually stoic expression.

"Yeah, that fucking Care Bear reject just got pissy 'cause we called him out of his bullshit! Fucking shithead," Iruma scowled slightly.

Mahiru turned to Fujisaki with a tender smile. "For once, I agree with her. That bear's action was truly unnecessary and dumb. Guess he can't take a little criticism, you know what I mean?" she laughed.

"You're right. So don't blame yourself, Chihiro. You did the best you could," Hajime added with a bright smile.

"Next time Chihiro, we're gonna kick that bear's butt to six days to Sunday!" Asahina proclaimed boldly while pumping her fists.

"Six _ways_ to Sunday, Hina," Sayaka corrected teasingly, making the swimmer tilt her head a bit.

Asahina looked up at Sakura. "Ways? Is that how you say it?"

"I'm not known for knowing slang terms, Hina," Sakura replied with a small smile of her own before turning to the programmer. "Keep that strength that you used to return here. Never think otherwise."

Kibo gave the programmer a kind smile. "Just try again next time, Miss Chihiro. You'll get it next time, I'm sure of it."

Chihiro stared at the group with tears almost forming at her eyes, but not out of fear, but out of admiration, out of inspiration, out of support...and out of awe. The girl could only gaze at the smiles on her friends' faces that are telling her to never give up and to keep getting stronger despite this setback. The programmer slowly pushed herself out of her chair before giving the group a shaky yet bold smile of her own.

"I-I'm alright, guys...t-thank you all so much for...b-believing in me so much...*sniff* You know...not everyone I've met in my life has ever given me any form of support outside of my own family...but to hear it from new faces...it's...it's such a wonderful feeling..." Chihiro's smile grew wider as her once timid eyes are now being filled with fire. "But I will take this as a challenge, I k-know now that I need to try harder and get stronger to help everyone so I could do the best I can to help all of us escape from this dreadful place!" she proclaimed. Her declaration made the group smile proudly even more as they hear such words coming from the shy programmer.

Even Katakuri looked at the girl with a respectful expression of his own. It must be deja vu, but to hear such a statement coming from someone like her...it reminds him of Makoto when he first met him...

And it reminds him of a raven-haired boy that made such declarations.

"But...*yawns* I really need some sleep, so please excuse me..." Chihiro smiled faintly before rubbing her eyes

"We'll walk you back..." Koizumi said quietly as she ushered Fujisaki to the door.

"I'm feeling pretty exhausted myself, I think we all should head to bed for tomorrow," Kyoko added as she followed suit.

"I'm fucking beat myself as well..." Miu cursed as she followed the trio.

"W-Wait...I-I'm coming too," Mikan called out as she left as well.

"Well, it looks like it's just you guys now," Chiaki said calmly before pulling out her video game from her pocket before starting to play it. It was as if Monokuma hadn't come here in the first place. One moment it was tense and uncomfortable, but now the atmosphere is now calm and collected. Hajime couldn't help but be surprised at how calm the adorable gamer was. He couldn't help but admire how she stood up to Monokuma. Though it seemed as she was having similar thoughts about him.

"That was truly a brave thing you did, Hinata-san. To defend Chihiro, without hesitation despite the risk of death. It was very inspiring, Hajime. What you said was very admirable, makes me very happy to meet someone like you," Chiaki said as she peeked up from her hood with faint dust of pink on her cheeks.

The gamer's words caught the spiky boy off guard. She was well-spoken when she decided to speak.

Chiaki paused at the doorway and looked up at the sitting giant with a soft smile. Katakuri notices it and turned his attention to the small girl who was giving him a smile. "But I really must thank you, Mr. Katakuri. I don't know who you are or where you're from, but you truly inspired us to help defend Chihiro from Monokuma. What you did at the gym, you standing up to him despite the threat of death, you took him on without fear." Chihiro looked down at the ground. "I guess it must've spread to us somehow. But I really do hope to know you a bit more, Mr. Katakuri, because even though you look like a final boss...a scary one in fact...you're a lot more than you seem" Just like with Hajime, Katakuri was put off by the girl's words of him, though he didn't show it as much as the boy.

"Naegi?"

Makoto's eyes widen a bit when he realized that Chiaki called out to him and gave him a soft smile. "Thank you for introducing us to him. He really is a great person, if you get past his looks and demeanor," she giggled softly. Right before the luckster could answer, the gamer returned to her game and walked out of the room.

He turned his attention to Katakuri. It honestly surprised him that someone like him could stand up for Chihiro. Granted, Katakuri stood up to Monokuma before but that was for his own merit. To see a gnarly, hardened person such as Katakuri defend a shy and timid person such as Chihiro, he couldn't help but feel some admiration and respect for the giant.

Hajime and Makoto stared at each other in surprise from Chiaki's kind words to them. They don't know what to say after that, so after a few moments of silence, both of them let out some smiles before they both chuckled.

"Well Makoto, it seems though we'll be crashing in our rooms for the night. Guess if we're not dead by then, see you tomorrow?" Hajime asked.

The luckster nodded. "Yeah, guess so. Wow, Nanami-senpai really has a way with words," he remarked as he rubbed his head.

The taller boy chuckled. "It would seem so. She's right, though." Makoto looked at his senior who was giving him a broad smile. "If it wasn't for Katakuri standing up to Monokuma in the first place, I wouldn't have the guts to stand up to him. But seeing Chihiro like that, I wouldn't forgive myself if I let that slid past me."

Makoto sighed. "I was pretty terrified as well, too. Guess Katakuri-san's actions are giving us the confidence we need, huh?" The luckster looked up at the giant who in turn saw the looks the two boys are giving him before he let out a sigh which caught them off-guard.

"There's no need to give credit to me. All I did was any person could do if they see someone being accused like that. You all should credit yourselves for bringing up the courage you have to defend her against that rejected teddy bear," Katakuri stated.

Hajime and Makoto realized the truth behind his words as they took them in, but the crimsonhead was not finished. "But, thanks anyway."

The two boys smiled at that as they were ready to call it a night. "Well Naegi, see ya tomorrow. Don't want the rest of the group waiting," he waved as he finally went through the door.

"Goodnight, Hajime," Makoto called out as he watched the boy's back is out of his sight. Makoto turned back to his group and let out a yawn himself. "Well guys, I hate to sound lazy, but I'm feeling pretty worn out myself."

Sayaka let out a light giggle. "You're not lazy, Naegi. We all need some shuteye after such a rollercoaster that happened today. Guess it went better than a usual, standard day." Both of them laugh at that.

Sayaka's smile then turned into a frown as she walked up to Makoto and gave him a bow which surprised the boy. "Makoto, as of what happened earlier, I am terribly sorry for I was acting. I lost it, I acted like an animal, and I pinned it on you, please forgive me," she apologized sadly.

Makoto waved his hands as he was put off by the gesture. "No no, there's no need for that! Besides, I already told you it's alright. We'll get out of here so we can find our family and friends, I promise," he grinned as he laid a hand on her shoulder.

The pop singer rose up and a faint blush appeared on her cheeks as she was stunned by how easily Makoto forgave her after such a horrid act. Just like him, Asahina, and Katakuri had said, they are her friends, and they are here to look out for each other, no matter how tough a situation is. Maizono gave the boy a soft smile of her own. "Thank you so much, Makoto. And you should be a magician as a talent...the way you made Katakuri appear out of that scarf was crazy."

Makoto's face heats up in embarrassment from the gym. "O-O-O-Oh, no no no no no, t-t-that was not my idea, K-Katakuri-san suggested it!" he stammered.

Katakuri's eyebrow was raised. "Me? Do I look like the one to be making such a childish suggestion?" he queried.

Poor Makoto felt even more embarrassed as Sayaka laughed at his fumbling before giving the boy a big hug, which shocked him and made him freeze up. "Well anyways, thank you once again Naegi-san, and I'll see you tomorrow morning." She released him from the bug with a small giggle before walking to the door but not before pausing to look at Katakuri with a smile.

"Oh, and Katakuri?" The giant's eyes turned to the girl who gave him a thankful bow to him. "Thank you for stopping me from losing my mind. And I'm sorry for throwing such mean words to you, I hope you forgive me as well."

Katakuri nodded. "Don't mention it, Maizono. Just keep your cool, don't let Monokuma's tricks get to you. You'll find them soon, that I know," he reassured, as Sayaka nodded before giving him and Makoto one more 'thank you' before heading off to her dorm room.

Asahina and Sakura walked up to Makoto with the swimmer hugging Makoto, which once again shocked him. "Thank you for being a great leader, Naegi-san. I'm really glad that this day had some excitement, good and bad. I hope tomorrow will give us a bit of a break, don't you think?" she asked him.

Makoto stared at the caramel swimmer for a while before letting out a dumb nod. "Well anyway, I'm off to call it a night. See ya tomorrow!" Asahina waved before turning to the door as she gave Katakuri an excited grin. "Hope we'll talk some more tomorrow, Katakuri! Thank you!" she called out before Katakuri could do or say anything as she and Sakura went off to their rooms to sleep in.

Kibo walked up to the boy next and offered him a smile. "Well Naegi-senpai, it seems as though I need to get some rest to replenish my systems for tomorrow, for today, was a good deal for my supply. And thank you once again for allowing someone such as me be a part of your group," he thanked.

Makoto let out a chuckle. "Don't mention it, Kibo, we'll catch up some more tomorrow. Catch you on the flip side." Kibo nodded as he also went on his way to his room to get some rest, which leaves the A.V. room with just Makoto and Katakuri.

Makoto looked up at the giant. "Well Katakuri-san, I don't where you gonna sleep, cause I don't think there's a dorm room for you."

"Don't worry, I'll find me a suitable place for me to rest," Katakuri replied. _'Hopefully somewhere comfortable where I can be able to rest the stress and pain off, hopefully tomorrow will be more lenient for me.'_ he added mentally.

"Alright, see you in the morning Katakuri-san," Makoto said. Before he leaves, he gave the giant one last smile. "And also...thank you for being my friend. I'm so glad and happy to meet you." The luckster gave him a wave before heading off his way to go to his bed.

Katakuri stared at where Makoto stood. All alone, the giant finally let out a deep, pent up sigh. He was honestly surprised as to how he, Hajime, Chiaki, Sayaka, Asahina, and Chihiro thanked him despite all he's done that further put them at risk of getting executed from the reckless stunts he did back at the gym. He was quite surprised as to how easily everyone went back to their normal selves after Monokuma caught them.

The giant felt as though little by little, he was getting tolerated, to borderline liked. Katakuri honestly felt expected to everyone besides Makoto to still be wary of him. And even though most students are wary of him, Hajime, Chiaki, Makoto, Asahina, Chihiro, Sayaka, and Himiko are warming up to him, with two of them welcoming him. Their friendly gestures almost made the giant feel accepted.

But Katakuri shook those thoughts from his head. He shouldn't be focusing on such thoughts, he needs to focus on finding a place to rest for tomorrow. He still hasn't figured his way of this world and he needs to know more of it. But thinking on that won't help any, especially with his weakened state. The giant stood up and took another look at the computer room before walking out of the door to find a place for him to get some rest. Maybe he'll sleep in the gym, or the dining room, or if by any out-of-nowhere chance, Monokuma built and gave him a dorm room that is a perfect size for him. Doubt it.

Katakuri continued his walk down the quiet hallway to find a place for him to sleep. But right before he'll sleep in, he needs to do a round trip to the others' dorm rooms, to stand guard. The giant walked down the girl's hallway and stood there for a few minutes before walking to the boy's hall to do the same thing. Seeing as how he sensed that everyone is in their dorm rooms, Katakuri was satisfied by it and head on to find a place to rest.

Surprise surprise, there is no dorm room for him. Oh well, he found himself a nice spot beside a fur wall that stood behind the girls' and boys' dorm hallways, another plus for him to stand guard in case someone pulls something. So the giant sets himself up and sat his back against the wall as he let out a relieving sigh to get out the stress he contained throughout the day.

Katakuri flinched a bit as he rubbed his lower left abdomen of the phantom pain. Still bothering him, hopefully some rest will be able to alleviate it. Without further thinking, Katakuri relaxes, folded his arms and leans his head back as his scarf serves as a pillow for him as he finally closes his eyes for the last time of the night to let sleep drift him to a nice eight and a half hours of relaxation and peace.

 _End of chapter._

* * *

 ** _Dear goodness, guys...I am so terribly sorry for my long hiatus. Work, then family, then writer's block, everything. I'm so terribly sorry for not updating as much but I am so happy that I finally got this monster of a chapter out for you peeps to read. I would've added more but that'll make this chapter get beyond the 20,000-word mark than it already did, and also it's a one-year anniversary chapter! I'm sorry if this chapter seems to be filler or rushed to some of you, but this will serve as the prelude to what the next chapter will bring. I'm doing the best I can to make this story original, so it wouldn't fall into some stories that serve the same plotline but with a different character and few twists. Giving the group and Katakuri some screen time before the next chapter will serve as more screen time for the other groups before...Upupupu...wait and see..._**

 ** _Guy and gals, I thank you all so much for your patience, your immense patience. Thank you for the follows likes, reviews, and favorites. Please review this story. Any flames or destructive criticism will face the wrath of Katakuri's Mole._**

 ** _And as always, I will see you in the next chapter, (which I hope it'll be soon, but don't bank on it)...buh-bye!_**

 **Beta-reader**

 **King Carlos  
Shadow of Life  
Brainstormingbuddy: ZGMF-X13A Providence**


	14. Chapter 13: Snap

**Chapter 13: Snap**

"What have you done?"-dialogue

 _'I didn't mean it'-_ thoughts/flashback

 **Ultimate Surgeon-** title

 _ **"You fool"-**_ Katakuri's Future/Monokuma

* * *

 _ **AN: Ladies and gentlemen...what is up, what is good, the D...yeeeaaaah...the GOKU D. UZUMAKI here today to bring you guys and gals a brand new chapter of the Ultimate Big Brother! First of all, thank you all so much for giving me over 104 follows, 95 favorites, and 93 reviews, I can't express my love and gratitude to you peeps enough. Second of all...workplace drama happened and I had to leave...finally got me a new, better paying job! I know that there are messy co-workers and managers alike in every single workplace, but there has to be a line drawn between quitting of having hurt feelings and having enough. I had enough.**_

 _ **But enough about me, let's focus on your love of this story. Sorry I didn't uploaded from the beginning of November, like I said, finding a new job and a new place to live. Last chapter was having Katakuri sleeping watching guard of the students in case someone tries to pull a fast one. But let's see what happens...shall we?**_

 _ **But before we go ahead, anyone like to do the disclaimer?**_

 **Everyone: *silence***

 _ **GDU: Uhhhh, guys...what's wrong?**_

 **Mondo: You know full fucking well what's wrong.**

 **Akane: This chapter...it's fucked up**

 _ **GDU: What do you mean...it's intense.**_

 **Asahina: There's a fine line between tension and torture! This is torture!**

 **Sakura: Indeed, this chapter will only end in bloodshed, and we hate the very thought of seeing a young life taken by someone so cruel to do it.**

 **Makoto: Guys...I-I mean...don't you-**

 **Byakuya: This is clearly infantile, all of you don't want to say the disclaimer all because of some little blood will be spilled in this chapter? What's wrong with trying to stop the inevitable?**

 **Kaito: You jackass, what do you think this is, some kind of game?!**

 **Byakuya: *smirks* As a matter of fact, it is.**

 **Fuyuhiko and Mondo: You little piece of-**

 **Makoto: Enough!**

 **Everyone: *turned to Makoto***

 **Makoto: L-Look, I know this chapter is...unpleasant...and believe me, I don't want to go through it. B-But if we are going to get out of here, we need to keep moving...despite the nasty surprises we'll meet down the road. Yelling and arguing won't solve anything, don't you see?**

 **Everyone: *grumbles***

 _ **GDU**_ **and Katakuri: *watches***

 **Makoto: *sighs* Thank you. Now, can anyone please say the disclaimer, so we can get this over with?**

 **Asahina: *walks up to the microphone* I'll go. *sighs shakily before clearing herself up* _The following is a non-profit, fan-based fanfiction. Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, Goodbye Despair, and V3: Killing Harmony are all owned by Spike Chunsoft, Too Kyo Games, and Kazutaka Kodaka. Danganronpa: the Animation, Danganronpa 3: Despair, Future, Hope Arc, and Danganronpa Zero are all owned by Lerche, Funimation, Toei Animatio, Fuji TV, and Kazutaka Kodaka. One Piece is owned by Shueisha, Funimation, Toei Animation, Fuji TV, and Eiichiro Oda. Please...support the official releases._**

 **Makoto: Well?**

 _ **GDU: All I had to say is...this will either strengthen you...or break you.**_

 **Katakuri: Which one it is, will be entirely up to you.**

* * *

 **Day One**

 **First Floor**

 **Hallway**

 **11:00 p.m**

Silence permeates throughout the hallway as the hallways' lights dimmed for the night. Thankfully for the students that are slumbering, their rollercoaster today will be behind them after they wake up from their slumber. Following the guidelines, nobody was allowed to leave or enter their dorm room for no reason unless they want some snack, no mingling, no investigation, nothing. Anyone leaving their dorm for any other reason will be punished, that is obvious.

However, while everyone was in their respective dorms, we turn to see the giant Charlotte Katakuri sitting down beside the wall with his arms crossed and his eyes closed, even his snores are more quiet than a mouse. For the giant, this sleep is well-deserved and he need to take it the best way possible for him to be ready for tomorrow. The reason why he's the only person outside was for these reasons.

1.) No dorm room could possibly fit the crimsonhead without him being uncomfortable.

2.) He's an 'unofficial' student, therefore, his room wasn't made.

3.) He's watching guard just in case someone will try to pull something and he'll be there to stop it.

4.) Monokuma loves toying with him just because.

Yep, definitely the last reason.

*creak*

Katakuri's eyebrow raised by the sound of a door opening. Without opening his eyes, he resumed pretending to be asleep so he would avoid detection from the person. He heard the pause of the footsteps, no doubt the interloper searching to find anyone or anything suspicious before continuing to walk away. As soon as the steps are faint, Katakuri let out a sigh. Just why is someone walks out of their dorm room, knowing full well they are breaking the rules and risk punishment? And what are they up to?

The giant stood up to his full height and rolled his shoulders to stretch out, feeling a tiny bit relieved but still felt the pain on his left abdomen. Ignoring the strain, Katakuri followed the person by the sound of its footsteps until the person reaches into the dining room. Piquing an eyebrow, Katakuri continues walking behind the person and keeping himself unaware of the person's surroundings.

As soon as Katakuri reached the dining hall door, he opened the door without making a sound and walks into the dark room. He looks around to spot the awakened interloper to see what he or she is doing. He soon found out when he heard shuffling and rummaging in the kitchen with the only source of light being the opened refrigerator. The giant walked towards the opening of the kitchen and peers into the lightly dimmed room and spotted the person searching for food in the fridge and instantly knew who the person was.

"Asahina?"

The brunette girl let out a startled yelp and jumped, dropping her food. Asahina turned around and her eyes popped out in shock and fear, not expecting someone to follow her to the kitchen. Her body tensed even more as she realized that it was Katakuri, of all people to follow her into the kitchen. Asahina stared at the giant with extreme anxiety as she stood ramrod still in front of the titan of a man. Along with shock and fear, she's also extremely embarrassed as her outfit is her sleepwear, which consists of her white tank top and plain white panties, leaving her athletic legs due to years of swimming exposed for Katakuri to see.

To say she's embarrassed will be an understatement, she felt like melting on the floor in pure humiliation by standing in front of a hardcore person like Katakuri in nothing but her undies. The two of them stood in dead silence until Katakuri finally broke it.

"Aoi Asahina," Katakuri boomed, with the swimmer flinched by the stern tone from the man.

"Y-Y-Y-Y-Yes s-s-sir?" Asahina stammered, trying her best to not to wake up the others, despite being a good distance away from the dorms.

The giant folded his arms. "Just what the world are you doing out of your dorm in this time at night? You know the penalty of sneaking out of your room past your curfew."

Asahina shuffled her feet and lowered her head at the ground like a kid that was caught with the hand in the cookie jar. "I...I couldn't sleep...so I decide to get a midnight snack, hopefully...i-it'll help me go to sleep better?" she replied shyly.

Katakuri's eyebrow raised at her answer. "What kind of snack?"

The girl pull her hands from behind her back and showed the man her snack. Katakuri's stern face instantly lit up by the sight of her food.

In her hand was a bunch of doughnuts.

Katakuri almost felt like drooling by the sight of the delectable treats. Sprinkled donuts, iced donuts, cinnamon donuts, jelly-filled donuts, and so much more. Reeling himself back from snatching the donuts out of her hand, the giant coughed to regain his composure.

"So, donuts huh?" he asked.

Asahina nodded slowly, still not looking up at the giant. She felt like she couldn't get in any more trouble as it is. First, she snuck out of her room, knowing the consequences of doing such a thing. Second, she's in her bed wear, hoping that no one will catch her in them. And third, the person that caught her out of everyone else was the crimsonhead. She would rather prefer Sakura, heck, even Togami, but Katakuri? Asahina clenched her eyes tightly and set her jaw, preparing for the worst scolding from Katakuri any second n-

"May I have some?"

The swimmer's eyes opened by the question. She looked up at the giant and saw that his face lightened significantly. Asahina used her free hand to clear her ears, probably she misheard him, yeah that's it. Her eyes blinked owlishly at the question as her face slightly relaxed.

"W-What?" she asked.

Katakuri let his hand out. "May I have some of your donuts please?"

The busty brunette was shocked. She never heard such a polite request coming from the guy that would even his normal speaking screams attention and following orders to the letter. To hear that Katakuri want some of her donuts was shocking, a big, scary, strong, monster of a man asking for some of her midnight snack.

Nodding dumbly, Asahina dropped some of her uneaten donuts in the giant's hand. "Here you go."

Giving her a thankful nod, Katakuri grabbed one donut and stuffed it in his scarf and eats it. Doing his best not to be too pleased by tasting the sweet, sinful taste of donuts, the giant let out a small, satisfied hum. The fluffiness of the gluten, the light crunch from the deep frying, and the sweetness of the icing was like heaven to Katakuri's taste buds. While they were not extraordinary, they were delicious on their own.

From Asahina's point-of-view, she's honestly surprised to see Katakuri enjoying her donuts. The anxiety, shock, embarrassment, and bewilderment fade away and in turn is a bright smile.

"You love doughnuts, don't you Katakuri?" she asked with a slight tease in her tone.

The giant snapped out of his reverie and looked at the petite girl who was looking at him with a teasing smile on her features. Katakuri shook his head and let out a light cough. "Yeah, they're my favorite food."

Asahina's face lit up from his answer. Yes, finally! Another donut lover!

The girl walked to the fridge and brought out another box of donuts and set it on top of the counter. She walked and sat down on a stool and offered one that's across from her.

"Want some more? We have plenty for us to last the night," she offered with her smile.

Katakuri's eyes widened by the sight of the treats and with all of his willpower not to be overcome with joy by the heavenly sight, sat down with the swimmer, easily dwarfing her and the stool. Asahina and Katakuri looked at the box of donuts together and both of them grabbed some of the treats and ate them, taking their time to enjoy the sweet taste of the rounded pastries.

The two donut lovers ignored the fact that they are up past their curfew and the possibility of the nosy bear dropping out of nowhere as they continued to chow on the donuts. The night is filled with silent hums of satisfaction and hunger of the two.

At box two, Asahina let out a relieved sigh as she rubbed her belly, enjoying the fill of the pastries in her stomach. Katakuri let out a small sigh as he picked up another donut and popped it inside his scarf, munching on it. As the two sat in filled silence, a question popped into Asahina's head.

"Hey, I don't want to be nosy but why were you outside in the hallway? Didn't Monokuma have a dorm for you?" she asked.

The giant closed his eyes. "Figured you spotted me in the hallway while you was sneaking. Mostly likely because I couldn't fit in the dorm rooms, I can barely get myself around the hallways as it is, don't need to make myself any more uncomfortable by squeezing in those tiny rooms, no offense," he replied.

The swimmer waved it off. "Heh, none taken."

"And another reason, we know that Monokuma has his eyes set mainly on me, no doubt trying to find out my weaknesses so he can exploit them to his advantage. He don't like me, so I believe that's the big reason why I don't have one."

Worry etched onto her features. "But, are you okay? I mean, you have no bed, no pillow, you was pretty much out in the open." Her face turned into one of annoyance. "That darn stuffed bear, playing with you and making you sleep out in the open. I wanna to give him a piece of my mind if I could," she remarked with a huff.

The giant let out a light chuckle. "Thanks for the concern, but I can assure you that I'm fine. Besides, me being outside is a benefit in case someone tries to pull something while everyone else is asleep. Being asleep is everyone's greatest vulnerability," he replied.

The swimmer nodded. "That's true, that's true." She grabbed herself another donut for her to bite on, but then her usual happy mood took a turn as her face became crestfallen and she nibbled on her treat.

Katakuri noticed it. "Something on your mind, Asahina?"

The girl let out a tired sigh. Asahina set her donut down on the counter top before wiping her face of the crumbs. "It's nothing, really," she replied, trying to play it off but she knew that the giant know better.

"Worrying about your loved one's fate and hoping for the chance to leave this place, seems like it's more than nothing if you ask me," Katakuri stated as he picked up another one.

The girl let out a mirthless chuckle as she stared at the tile floor in despondence. "I'm sorry, but...I can't help it. I...I just...my baby brother...h-how? How can I keep going without having the thought of those sickos doing some things to him, hurting him, making him scared? How can _anyone_ be able to keep that thought from not making them lose it, I mean, we've seen what happens when stuff like that gets to people earlier today with Maizono-san."

Tears began to form at the girl's eyes and her lips trembled from her extreme worry for her brother. "S-Sakura-chan told me to stay strong before we went to bed, b-but...I-I-I'm pretty sure she's thinking the same thing I'm thinking...we all are. B-But...because I-I'm weak...I-I decide to sneak out and eat some donuts to stave my mind off of it. What kind of sick, deranged person would make us go through this disturbing game and find it entertaining?! Who in the world finds this hilarious?! If it weren't for these dumb rules, I would've ripped that bear to shreds and find the person responsible and beat whoever it is until they tell us where our friends and family are!" she screamed furiously with tears streaming down her face, finally letting out her past frustrations and fears from watching the snuff film of her brother's abduction to the fore without screaming too loud that'll disturb the other slumbering students. Katakuri continued to stare at the shattered girl, letting her say her pent-up feelings and thoughts of the situation.

Asahina huffed after releasing her pain and anger out in the open before wiping the tears from her face. "I'm sorry Katakuri, I'm pretty sure you think I'm weak for letting stuff like that get to me," she apologized sadly.

Katakuri raised his eyebrow at that self-loathing statement. "Weak? What makes you think I find you weak?"

Aoi perked her head up at him with her eyes puffy from her crying. "Huh? What do you mean?"

Katakuri set his half eaten donut down before continuing. "Thoughts like that doesn't make you weak, it's what makes you alive. Trust me Asahina, I was livid by the thought of whoever is operating this ordeal is making us go through this and forcing all of you to experience mental and psychological trauma and the desire to see all of you at each other's throats just for the sake of a sociopath's twisted and immoral ideals. But I didn't let my fury get the better of me and allow me to lash out in blind fury, just like with Owada and Kuzuryu for example." The swimmer's face scrunched by the mention of the two boys.

He pointed his gloved finger at the girl. "Like I told Makoto, don't let that bear, the mastermind, your loved one's predicament, and this situation get to your head, because that's what the mastermind wants. He or she wants to see you break down and lash out like an untamed beast. No one would blame you for feeling like that for your brother, and whoever does will be a hypocrite. The _only_ time that what defines as 'weak', is when you allowed yourself to let these problems weigh you down and turn you into someone you're not, not seeing the best option out of everything, acting miserable, acting moody. It's all on choice."

Asahina stared at the giant in silence, her eyes widening in awe by the way Katakuri's telling her to stay strong. The way he states the facts, the possibilities, and the pros and cons, without being so callous or insensitive. The swimmer's judgement on Katakuri's character grew as she continues to listen to his words.

"It's your choice, Aoi Asahina. Would you let the situation concerning you and your brother's well-being strengthen you to find a way out of here, bring the mastermind to justice, and find your brother? Or would you let it weaken you, shatter your mind, make you miserable, make you empty, and worse...make you feel despair? You're a strong girl, Asahina. Don't let anyone else, especially Monokuma make you think otherwise," he finished.

The entire kitchen fell into silence after Katakuri's speech. A few moments later, Asahina began to tear up again, but this time, these tears weren't out of fear and frustration, but out of awe and inspiration. The girl's features were graced by a broad yet slightly shaky smile from holding her tears in.

"Y-You're right, Katakuri. T-Thank you, thank you so much, I needed that," she sobbed quietly. Katakuri's face lighten after hearing that, he's glad that he finally relieved her out of her mental tirade. Right before he say anything else, something else shocked the giant to the core, an action that will forever be imprinted in his memory, one that will remind him of this moment forevermore:

Without warning, Aoi Asahina hugged Charlotte Katakuri.

The girl did her best to wrap her arms around the giant's midsection, making him jump a bit from the contact. Katakuri stared at her dumbfounded by her move, his arms out of the way, yet he's not resisting nor hugging her back. He's just...shocked. His shock went down after he heard some sniffles.

"Thank you...you have no idea how much I needed to hear that, how much I want to let my feelings out. E-Even deep, deep down inside, I wouldn't tell them to Sakura because whenever she's strong, I need to stay strong. She taught me so much about strength, so much it made me who I am..."

"But...you taught me to be honest with myself. You're right. I-I'm so terrified right now, so terrified with my life, my friends' lives, my brother's...but you also taught me to not let the burdens make me weak...but to make me keep going, and find a way out of this nightmare. So, I hope you can accept my eternal thanks...Katakuri-san," Asahina stated with a small smile as she finally let the last of her tears fall down her tanned face.

*yawn*

Asahina stretched as she let out her yawn before scratching her head, her posture a little sluggish. "Geez, all these donuts and crying and talking made me sleepy, I better get to bed before I get into trouble," she said.

She hopped off her stool and ate the last of her uneaten donut with her trademark bubbly smile on her face before turning to the recovering crimsonhead. "Thanks for listening, Katakuri-san, see you tomorrow morning. You can have the rest of the donuts." She walked away from him to head back to her dorm, leaving the giant in silence.

The silence was cut off as Asahina's head popped back with a light blush dusted on her face. "O-Oh, and before you go to sleep...can you please let this be between the two of us? I don't wanna feel embarrassed by the fact we ate and chat with me in my undies," she asked shyly.

Katakuri shook his head at the silly notion before waving her off. Asahina's smile returned back to face as she waved at him before finally walking away to head back to her dorm room to return to her slumber in peace.

The giant stared at the door where the swimmer for a moment thinking about what she did, but suddenly his expression hardened as he continued to lock his gaze at the door. Without turning around, the man spoke. "Monokuma, I'm honestly getting tired of you crawling out of your hole."

Lo and behold, the two-toned bear waddled out of the dark corner with his annoying grin. _**"I swear Katty, you need to lighten up a bit. I was starting to get involved with your little pep talk you had with Water Head. Honestly, I was getting bored but when you started talking, ooh hoo hoo hoo, I was munching on popcorn,"**_ he said cheekily.

Katakuri wordlessly turned back to his donuts to ignore the rejected teddy bear's rambling. The little milliseconds of silence was cut off when Monokuma jumped onto the stool where Asahina was as he stared at the donut boxes with a sly grin. He picked up the treat like he's examining it. _**"Hmmm, so the big bad Katakuri is a donut freak, eh? Kinda weird, but heck, all of my kiddos have their perks, so I wouldn't be surprised that you have some kind of weird quirk as well. But really, donuts?"**_ Somehow, the animatronic munched on the donut. Not even a split second later, the bear spat out the pastry scattering it across the floor. While he has no taste buds since he's a remote-controlled machine, he ejected the crumbled treat as if it was poison. No doubt to spite the crimsonhead, who was staring at the ruined donut on the floor in silence.

 _ **"BLECK! I don't know how you two feasted on them, they are so sugary, I might as well die with diabetes!"**_ Monokuma wiped his mouth of the remains of the donut before his face brightened with an idea. _**"Hey, wait a second, color me correct, but if that water head continues to gorge on these donuts, perhaps she'll be the first to pop! Nyuk nyuk nyuk! Oh, that'll be hilarious!"**_ Monokuma cackled as he bowled over on the stool, holding back tears of laughter from the gruesome idea of Asahina dying from either stuffing herself of donuts or from diabetes. Does it matter, either way is slow and painful, just the way he loves it!

Silence.

The bear wiped an imaginary tear from his eye as he finally recollected himself. _**"Oooh boy, that was hilarious, don't you think so Katty-hey, what's with the sour look on your face? Did I said something that offended you about that swimmer girl? Was it too much for you to**_ **bear? _Nyuk nyuk nyuk!"_** he mocked. Little does he know, he did something that even Monokuma in the future will stand clear from. One thing that no one, not even the most violent and fearsome of despicable people will even dream of doing unless they have a death wish:

Never disrespect doughnuts in front of Charlotte Katakuri.

The man in question stared at the destroyed donut, long since drowned out the nonsensical drivel Monokuma spat, as he was too focused on that donut. That donut was more than a treat. It meant more to him than almost living. Doughnuts was the one and only food that he will eat and stuff and gorge and do it with a smile on his face, if he can. Whether it be cream filled, jelly filled, glazed, chocolate glazed, sprinkled, whole wheat, or even plain, he'll devour them without a second glance.

But most importantly, that donut was a gift, a gift from Aoi Asahina, who was starting to see more to Katakuri than he is. She came to him, telling him of her internal issues that she wouldn't even clearly explain it to Sakura, her best friend. Asahina had the courage to tell someone who was more than a hundred times gruff than Ogami is, and hugged him in compassion and gave him the rest of the donuts as a token of appreciation. To say that Katakuri was surprised and somewhat grateful of the treat is so little to say, he hadn't ate anything as long as he can remember.

And Monokuma spat it out, like poison.

With all of his might to not snap at the bear from the disrespect of the treat, Katakuri turned to the bear with an intense gaze. "I suggest that you cut the nonsense and tell me why you didn't attack Asahina while she was up? Didn't your rules said that anyone staying up past their curfew will face the consequences? Then again, why am I asking you of all people the reason why you didn't?" he asked.

Monokuma's face blushed slightly from the embarrassment as he rubbed the back of his head. _**"Heh heh, wellll, the dead cat is out of the bag huh? Yeah, at first I was peeved that Water Head decided to stuff her face, but then I was like 'Eh, what the heck, what would staying up all night hurt anyone?' Anybody is free to do whatever they want past their curfew, more dead folks for me to enjoy, and more insufferable headaches for you."**_

Of course he'll make up the rules as he goes, why wouldn't he be surprised?

 _ **"And as to why I was here? I was just bored, being around while nothing exciting was happening is mind-numbing to my excitable brain. And when I saw that you two were having a nice chat while stuffing your faces with them treats, I just said 'eh, better than nothing.' And while it was sappy and boring, I do say that Water Head's story about not telling her so-called best friend about her issues certainly was the kicker, or better yet, the hopelessness when she mulled over her sticky situation of not helping her baby bro and being trapped in here with these potential would-be killers."**_ The bear continued. Suddenly, the bear's normal face slowly turned to one filled with hate and malice as he glared at the giant who was unfazed by the attempted killer glare from the animatronic. His evil eye glowed as he stared at Katakuri.

 _ **"Then**_ **you _had to give her hope, didn't you? You just had to fill her up with that disgusting hope. I honestly can't wait for one of these twerps to croak, it'll be more satisfying to pin you for the murders so I can pull all of my latest execution devices just to try to wipe you out. Just even thinking of those brats being filled with determination and hope is making me sick to my stomach,"_** he spat venomously. It's clear that whoever is in charge of this place, has a very huge disdain for anything that is positive. And hearing these edgy statements about death, despair, and chaos is giving Katakuri a migraine of hearing the bear's nonstop prattle.

Katakuri shook his head as a response to that supposedly threatening speech. "You can keep whining all you want, you and I both know that whatever you have planned will not come to fruition. Now, if you excuse me, I'm going back to being on guard and regain some sleep. Honestly, hearing you rattle on about hope and despair is making my head hurt," he said as he stood to his full height and cleaned up the mess.

Monokuma growled as he stared at Katakuri cleaning up the kitchen counter from donut crumbs and go as far as clean up the spat out donut pieces he did. Seeing the giant doing this so nonchalantly with him around was making the bear's teeth grind. Oh, how he wishes to crush that freak's smug attitude.

 _ **"Tch, whatever Kats. You can go back to sleep and don't worry about me pulling some stunt concerning you and Water Head's chit-chat, I have more important things to do for later on tomorrow. Just try not to sleep too deep, you might need to sleep with one eye open in case someone else tries to pull a fast one on you and you sleeping on the job,"**_ Monokuma sneered as he waddled back to the corner he emerged from earlier.

Katakuri wiped his gloves clean as he watched the bear waddled back to where he crawled from. It's so hard not to destroy the rejected teddy bear and find the mastermind to end this whole debacle. But he cannot risk putting these students' lives in danger for his hastiness and recklessness. If he needs to stop as much bloodshed as he can and find a way out of here, he's going to have to play along, much to his extreme displeasure.

Monokuma let out a yawn as he turned around to face the crimsonhead to give him one last piece of his mind. _**"Oh well, nighty night Katty! Do as you and follow the rules and this game might play in your favor. But then again, even as you can predict as much as you can...anyone can change the future. It's not yours to determine."**_ After saying the cryptic statement, Monokuma backed up and his form was swallowed by the dark shadows and was no longer there, leaving Katakuri alone in the dimly lit kitchen.

Speaking of Katakuri, the giant stared at the spot where the bear was at. While outwardly his expression remains neutral, internally he was annoyed. He knew that deep down, there will be bloodshed happening anytime whether he expects it or not, despite his ability to see the future

Scanning over the twin hallways one last time to check for anything suspicious, Katakuri sat back down on his spot and relaxed his tense muscles and folded his arms. Before slumber takes him in, his mind was still replaying on what Asahina accepted him to who he is, well, the first view of himself. Next, it was the petite redhead magician, Himiko. He remembered how she called him Big Bro after helping her get the staff she needed back at the gift shop earlier. Then finally, his first encounter with the first person who didn't hesitate to see him as a friend, the first to defend him from the slew of accusations from the student classes. Overall, Katakuri couldn't help but feel a bit warm now when three young kids are seeing him more than a freak of nature.

But Katakuri removed those thoughts from his mind, now it's not the time to focus on such things such as connections. Right now, he needs to focus on getting out of here, find some information concerning the mastermind, his whereabouts, and this strange world's history. Steeling his mind on that goal, he closes his eyes as his body finally relaxes when his long-awaited sleep consumes him in a surreal world of darkness.

* * *

 _ **?  
**_

 _ **In the surreal realm of dreams**_

 _Katakuri found himself sitting down on a board of some sort. The giant looked around and saw that he was surrounded by towering poles, he turned around and saw a large deck, and standing in front of him is a tall middle aged man wearing a long yellow coat with a tall collar and what appears to be striped candy in place for buttons. The bottom of his coat has a checkered design and large beads along the hem._

 _The man is wearing dark colored bracelets on both of his wrists and his long fingernails are black. He wears a large bulbous hat that is orange and red-striped in color with multiple colored lollipops along the rim with a pink plume. Underneath his hat is something that is either a head covering or hair that is navy blue with baby blue polka dots. His shoes are curved upward and he carries a large magenta and pink candy cane._

 _His features are almost wicked, with a large grin, narrow brown eyes, arched eyebrows, and a long pointed nose. He wears blue lipstick and his most distinctive feature is his unusually large tongue that is sticking out._

 _Katakuri took more of his surroundings and realized that he's on a ship of some sort. He then soon noticed that the entire sky turned dark red as he saw a wall of flame that is approaching his way. Taking action, Katakuri stood up and walked towards the flame calmly. Flexing his arm, a familiar black coat colors his forearm as he launched his punch to counter against the oncoming flaming attack. When he made contact, the flames parted a bit as he saw the source of the fire, which belong to another familiar sight: the raven haired boy wearing a dark red suit with a fierce, determined expression on his features._

 _Katakuri pushed against the boy's attack as both punches created shockwaves that made the large ship shake from the force. Focusing on the clash, Katakuri pushes the boy's fist, but he felt the boy pushing back with all his might. Having enough of the clash, Katakuri enlarged his arm with mochi and sent it through his arm, making his attack outclass the boy's, breaking the clash and sending the young man flying._

 _The boy however landed safely on the ground beside the ship as he brought his stretched arm back to him with a snap. Katakuri returned his enlarged forearm back to him with a snap as well, shocking the boy as he realized that whoever this towering crimsonhead is had mimicked his attack, right down to the stretching. The two combatants glared at each other, one with cold calculation and the other with unwavering determination._

 _Having enough, the young man jumped up high in the air with his skin turning a slight reddish-pink with steam hissing from his body. Katakuri looked at the boy, ready for whatever attack this boy will unleash at him. Whoever this young boy is, Katakuri's mindset was to stop this boy in his tracks and eliminate him for whatever reason, because he had a feeling that if this boy escapes from his reach, am uncontrollable storm will rain upon him and his fellow comrades._

 ** _"Gum-Gum...HAWK GATLING!"_** _the boy roared._

 _The small raven haired boy launched a series of blackened punches hoping that one of them will land on Katakuri. The giant's mental state somehow turned itself on as he glared at the boy, seeing where exactly each punch will land on him. The attack may seem like numerous fists flying towards him, but if you really dice it, the boy was really flying his two hands._

 _Katakuri stood still and let the punches go through him yet not feeling any of the impacts of the attack. The boy screamed fiercely as he continued his onslaught, but like before, his enormous opponent's still standing with no damage to him. Regardless of the futile effort, the young man still screech in defiance as he's trying to land one on Katakuri, but like a blind raging bull, he's foolish._

 _Having enough of the repetitiveness, Katakuri lifted his left arm and trapped the boy's right arm in his arm like glue stopping the onslaught right then. The giant pulled the boy towards him making him fly towards the crimsonhead. Then Katakuri raised his left arm and coated in the same black coating, cocking it back to land a serious blow to the soaring boy._

 _Just one punch will end it, one attack will end this mysterious boy's rebellion. He's getting closer, and closer, and closer...and when he's in his arm's length, Katakuri released his arm and then-_

* * *

 **Day Two**

 **First Floor**

 **Hallway**

 **2:20 a.m**

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Katakuri's dreamscape was sharply cut off when he heard a bloodcurdling scream echoing down the halls. His eyes snapped open as his body stood into action and raced away to get to the source of the scream. Whatever thoughts he had concerning his dream was shot out of the window as he continued to storm down the halls, ignoring the sound of doors bursting open from the students awakening from their sleep by the disturbing scream.

 _'How can I be so careless? I should've stayed awake to catch the person that'll pull a stunt and walked by past me. Grrr, no, now's not the time to dwell on that! I need to hurry to see if the person's still alive!'_ Katakuri urgently said to himself as he continued his dash towards the source of the scream.

Thankfully, he can still make some large strides despite being around 8 feet tall, he can reach the source in less than a minute! The scream wasn't that distant despite being at the end of the halls. The giant's mind swarmed with thoughts as to where did the scream came from, no doubt that the scream was a girl. Just what the hell is that girl doing out at this late in the morning, not regarding in the least that someone will seize the opportunity to commit a murder? No, he'll get his answers later, finding the girl now.

Katakuri stormed to the entrance of the dining hall and scoured the entire room, trying to find even the slightest thing off about the hall but found none. He then raced towards the kitchen and find the same result as kaput. Growling to himself, the giant's head snapped upward as he heard the overhead speaker screeching on with the all-familiar, dreadful, annoying voice coming on air.

 _ **"Yuk yuk yuk, I'm so sorry to cut into your beauty sleep, but you guys and gals got yourself a very early wake-up call! Hopefully you little kiddos can catch up in time to save whoever just got the misfortune of being with someone else that wants to spill his or her guts! I wonder who'll be, yuk yuk yuk!"**_ Monokuma laughed before it was abruptly cut off by the com turning off.

Letting out a low growl, Katakuri stormed out of the dining room and bolted past the herd of students that were also searching for the source of the scream. Katakuri grunted to himself as he figured another place for him to search are the dorm rooms. He immediately went to the girl's side of the dorms since the source belonged to the girl and burst through each door, ignoring any form of decency and found nothing out of the ordinary. As soon as he finish scanning through the last of the girl's dorm room, a voice cried out.

"Oh no, Sayaka!"

Katakuri snapped his head and saw that the door on the boy's side was open. He wasted no time as he stormed off and raced into the ruined room and saw Makoto standing at the bathroom door trembling. The giant lowered his head and stood behind the shell-shocked boy and his eyes narrowed at the horrific sight.

Sayaka, sitting down with a hole in her stomach with blood trickling down her chin, her face forever closed.

Veins bulged at his forehead as he took in the grisly sight, already before the sun even shines, there were two murders that took place, behind his back, without him trying to stop it. He stood with cold fury in his eyes as his new goal was to find the perpetrator responsible and make them pay with their life.

"K-K-Katakuri-san?"

The giant didn't look behind as Makoto called his name. "W-Why...why did this happened now? W-What? W-W-Why? W-W-Who?" he shakily asked.

"I don't know, but when I do...they will pay with their life," Katakuri growled. His fists clenched as he took in the sight, his eyes glued onto the girl's lifeless face drained from all life, her life now pooling on the tiled floor.

"KYAAAA! MAIZONO-SAN!"

Both Katakuri and Makoto turned and saw Asahina staring at the lifeless body with horrified eyes and a blanched face with her hands covering her mouth. Tears spilled from her eyes as she stood still, shaking in sheer horror and fear of seeing her friend lying dead in such brutal fashion. No soon than a few seconds, the intercom chimed back on with Monokuma on the mic.

 _ **"Well well well, it seems that you guys and gals may have to take sleep off the list and start investigating! It would seem that none of y'all were patient enough and decided to take one of you out, while y'all was sleeping! Guess they didn't want to do it at the crack of dawn. Oh well, might as well shake that sand off and start your investigation. Looks like she just sang her last note, am I right? Nyuk nyuk nyuk nyuk nyuk!"**_ Monokuma laughed right before the intercom abruptly cut off, leaving the three in stunned silence.

Makoto stood watching Sayaka's body with the same horrified face as his eyes began to water. "This is all my fault, if only I was there with her, a-a-and m-maybe she would have a chance to-"

"Naegi."

Makoto looked up and saw the cold fury that was burning on Katakuri's face despite the scarf in the way. The giant let out a long sigh before he released his hands from their clench. "No time for blaming, we need to find out who, for Sayaka's sake. We will find whoever did this, and they will pay...one way or another," Katakuri said calmly, but his intense eyes and veins on his forehead were anything but. He didn't even take in the numerous footsteps of the oncoming students that are coming their way.

 _'Not even a day later, someone decide to take a life, and leaving her to die like this. How could I be so careless and let myself fall asleep like that? If only I was-no. Now's not the time to dwell into that, I need to find whoever did it and I will personally make sure they will pay. And when I do find out who...they will have no mercy from me, the same way they showed no mercy to Maizono,'_ Katakuri thought to himself as dark thoughts manifest in his mind of ways he'll make the murderer suffer before they die in his hands.

 _End of chapter_

* * *

 _ **AN: AAAAAAAAND CUT! Yeah, I'm sorry. I know the chapter wasn't super long as usual, but because of the schedule and work, I had to let the chapter out. Plus, y'all were waiting too long for a chapter and I decide to waste no time to make the plot roll and get the murders and trials started up. I know that the murder is canon, but I decide to add some twists that'll make sense down the road. Also, I needed to refresh myself on the long trials in the games to know what exactly happened to the smallest of details.**_

 _ **From the bottom of my heart, I am so so sorry for making y'all wait and I will do the best I can to release the chapter that'll be filled with investigations, drama, and confrontations. Make sure to like, favorite, follow, and review. Any flames or destructive criticism will face the wrath of Katakuri's Mole. And until then, I will see you in the next chapter. Buh-bye!**_

 _ **edit: I finished Katakuri's dream sequence, sorry about uploading it incomplete.**_

 **Beta-readers**

 **King Carlos  
Shadow of Life  
Brainstorming friend: ZGMF-X13A Providence**


	15. Chapter 14: Picking up the pieces pt 1

**Chapter 14: Picking up the pieces pt. 1**

"What's this?"-dialogue

 _'What's what?'-_ inner thoughts/flashback

 **Ultimate Biologist-** title

 ** _"What's going on_** **here?"-** Katakuri's Future/Monokuma

* * *

 ** _AN: Hello, everybody my name is GDU and welcome back to_ The Ultimate Big Brother. _Sorry I was gone for over a month, with my new job and all and being in a bit of a slump creatively concerning with how to handle this case. Honestly, there were times I was considering of restarting this fic anew. But I kept my head high, took some time off and reading other fics similar to this that'll give me new ideas of handling this massive story. It's better to slow down and learn than to rush and make mediocre to subpar chapters. Also, I'm planning a due date for each chapter whenever I am confident enough on my writing abilities and available times for me to set up a new chapter, kind of like Eiichiro Oda's schedule. But we'll see how that'll turn out._**

 ** _But for right now, we left off with the gang discovering Sayaka's corpse and the disgusting room. I know it kind of follows canon, but trust me...unlike that one with just one OP character, there's going to be some twists and turns, discoveries, and betrayals down the road until we get to the trial which will be my biggest challenge. If anyone has any ideas or advice on how to make the series of event progress, please don't hesitate to leave a comment. I accept any form of criticism, whether it'll be to help me improve on my writing and storytelling skills or just understand the characters a bit better since I am still a little rusty on the Danganronpa universe. If any of you are not feeling with this story, please comment on what area that is not your cup of tea that I can do my best to improve on. Anything else outside of feedback that'll help me improve will face the wrath of Katakuri's Mole._**

 ** _Without further ado, I will say the disclaimer since the gang *looks at the group depressed and disgruntled from last chapter* won't be feeling it. For once._**

 ** _*ahem* The following is a non-profit, fan-based fanfiction. Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, Goodbye Despair, and V3: Killing Harmony are all owned by Spike Chunisoft, Bandai, and Kazutaka Kodaka. Danganronpa: the Animation, Danganronpa 3: Despair Arc, Danganronpa 3: Future Arc, and Danganronpa 3: Hope Arc are all owned by Toei Animation, Funimation, Fuji TV, and Kazutaka Kodaka. One Piece is owned by Shonen Jump, Funimation, Fuji TV, and Eiichiro Oda. Please support the official releases._**

* * *

 **Second Day**

 **First Floor**

 **Dormitory**

 **2:39 a.m**

 _ **Monokuma Case File #1**_

 _ **Victim #1: Sayaka Maizono**_

 **"There is a stab wound around the victim's stomach area, but other than that, there are no visible external injuries."**

 **Cause of death: exsanguination (blood loss)**

 **The time of death was approximately 2:25 a.m**

 **The body was discovered in the victim's room at approximately 2:30 a.m while the other students were sleeping in their respective rooms. There were no witnesses during the crime.**

 _ **Investigation time limit: 5 hours**_

* * *

The very second the information was posted on their e-handbooks, Chihiro dropped her handbook and sobbed into her hands as the information filled her head. She couldn't believe that anyone will murder someone as sweet as Sayaka out of nowhere while everyone was asleep. Along with Chihiro, Hajime clenched his fist as he read the info on his book. Mahiru hugged the poor programmer while holding back tears herself. Miu stood with her arms folded as her head is filled with graphic ways to murder the damn stuffed bear forcing them to go through this shitshow. Chiaki nearly collapsed in shock from the news as Mikan covered her mouth in disgust and horror as tears spilled down her face.

"N-No, Sayaka!" Fujisaki wailed, as she tried her best to deny that Maizono is dead. She turned around to dash towards the hallway but was found abrupt when a hand grasped her wrist.

The girl turned around and saw the crude Miu holding her wrist. "P-Please, let me go. I want to see them...I want to see my friends...I...I need to see her," she said pitifully as she choked on her tears.

"Fuck that noise. Would you really want to see them like that? Do you really want the last image of Sayaka as a lifeless, bloodied corpse? " she snapped lightly, but her usual snappy, crude tone was absent.

Chihiro shoulders slumped as her eyes gazed down at the hallway floor. "B-But Miu...i-it's all my fault...if I hadn't tried to-"

"Cut that pity party bullshit. You're too brilliant to even think like that. The only person to blame for her death is that black and white pile of shit, nobody but him would pull a stunt like this," the strawberry blonde scowled.

The petite girl whimpered. "B-But..."

"No buts, Chihiro. The least we can do for Sayaka is to find out whoever did this and keep on moving for her sake. Moping around and blaming ourselves is exactly what _he_ want us to," Hajime added.

Fujisaki's lips trembled as she clung onto whatever feeble attempt of swaying her friends to go to the others that discovered Sayaka. But before she uttered a word, she felt a hand on her back.

"Please Chihiro...it's best if we just find out who did it. You won't be able to handle it," Chiaki pleaded as she gingerly rubbed the programmer's back.

Just like earlier, Iruma's mind began to come up with gruesome ways to murder and destroy Monokuma, she'll make sure that piece of shit will pay for making them go through this shitshow. But her dark thoughts grind to a halt when she saw the scene with Chiaki and the others encouraging the poor programmer to take the best course of action and find the culprit. For a moment, her usual crude visage lightened as she saw the poor state Chihiro was in.

Focusing her thoughts at hand, she put aside the murdering Monokuma fantasies later. Right now, they need to get started to find pieces of information that'll help them to find out the perpetrator.

* * *

 **Second Day**

 **First Floor**

 **Dormitory**

 **2:43 a.m**

Kyoko found one of the bedroom doors wide open, just as Monokuma's announcement had finished. The lavender haired girl walked into the room, but not before letting out a very silent sigh as she strode forward into the room, only to see rest of Makoto's group, Kirumi, and Byakuya. Kirigiri saw the somber expressions on Asahina's face while Sakura stood by and comforts her while finding any evidence in the room. Kibo and Junko silently stood by as they too felt saddened by the sudden loss of their teammate/friend. But the one that is truly devastated was the kneeling Naegi.

Kyoko saw Togami and Kirumi already at work investigating the scene. Her eyes lifted up to see the bathroom door widely open and to her utter shock and fear, she spotted Katakuri in the bathroom with the luckster. The girl kept her cool visage unfazed but even she cannot stop a few beads of sweat streaming down her face as she stared at the back of the giant. She don't know why, but seeing that person is making her skin shiver by his appearance alone. From her visual memory of the frightening and horrifying experience of Katakuri's _slight_ ire, she knew it was the best possible choice to stay away from him.

But, seeing Makoto and the rest of his group already in low spirits of losing one of their own and trying to find any possible clues that'll help catch the perpetrator, Kirigiri steeled her nerves as clenched her gloved hands as she walked further to the bathroom door. She did a walk-by glance at the boy and his eyes were glazed with confusion, fear, but most of all, shock. She didn't blame him though, as Asahina had the same expression. This just happened a moment ago, while everyone was asleep. It was only a matter of time until someone crack under the weight of the situation for them to shed blood. They say 'prepare for the worst', but death can happen anytime, _literally_ anytime. Even sleep.

The very instant Kyoko entered the room, she felt an eerie calm overtook her, as if her emotions automatically shut off. _'An automatic reaction, I presume. Why am I feeling calm anytime a crime takes place? What has happened to me that made me feel comfortable when something like this?'_ she asked to herself.

She wanted to delve into the uncomfortable notion further but she put aside the thought before she turned to the lifeless Maizono. Seeing the bloodied clothes and the blood trickling down her chin, there's without a doubt she's dead.

"Taking a closer look, I see."

The girl jumped very slightly at the baritone voice of Katakuri as he examined the body without turning around to notice her. His awareness of his surroundings are phenomenal if he can sense her behind him without any visual contact. The thought slightly unnerves her, but she blinked twice before she calmed her emotions down and folded her arms with her usual stoic expression. "A scene like this must have some kind of purpose. There's no way for the murderer to take someone's life before the sun even rises, if we ever see one," Kyoko remarked.

Katakuri let out a hum of agreement to her statement as he continued his investigation. He laid his hand on the deceased's neck to check for even the faintest of pulse but to no avail. He then touched her wrist as an another attempt to feel a pulse, but was given the same result. He turned his eyes to quickly process on what's going on around him. He sees Makoto standing outside of the bathroom, no doubt still shell-shocked on what just happened. He decides to leave him alone for the time being until he's stable enough to help with the investigation.

He finally turned to the lavender girl who began her own investigation, searching for anything that'll give out evidence. He notices that whenever it comes to social interaction, she's immediately closed off. He would've called himself a hypocrite if he didn't notice that he acted the same way, but unlike her he made attempts to connect to the students (very few of them). But her, completely isolated. And when something like this pops up, she immediately becomes more talkative (though slightly), more focused, more observational, but most significantly, she's become even more unattached to her emotions, to the point that it seems unhealthy that she shows more of herself around a crime.

Putting that notion to the side, Katakuri turned to the lifeless corpse one last time before he got up and looked at his slightly bloodied glove. Honestly, he felt nothing but fury. Fiery fury at the person who'll be so spineless to attack a defenseless student while she's asleep. When he finds out who did it, he'll make them plead for a swift death. Then, he's furious at himself for not staying up all night to keep a more vigilant eye on things to make sure everything goes smoothly and everyone was sleeping. Sure, his phantom pain needs to be taken care of, but he should've muscled it through and worry about it when everyone settles down.

He turned to the despondent Naegi and shook his head slowly. Without looking up, the boy nodded before wiping his face from the potential tears. Without letting out a word, Asahina walked up to the boy and gave him a big hug to comfort him.

"I'll look after him, don't worry," Asahina said, allowing a forced smile as she looked up at Katakuri. Katakuri's expression softened a bit as he looked at the two. When the investigation is over, he needs to have a talk with the two.

Katakuri walked towards the bathroom sink to wash off the blood from his gloves without tampering the scene. "I know it was out of nowhere, and I know it's heart-wrenching. Believe me, I know. The best way we can do for Sayaka right now is to look for answers and find out who did it. Then, we'll make them answer for their crimes, one way or another."

Makoto let out a sniff. "I know, Katakuri-san, I know. But...why...it doesn't make any sense. We promsied...we promised that we will find a way out of here without resorting to kill and tear each other apart..."

Before Katakuri replies, a sigh was heard in the bedroom. They saw Byakuya (the skinny one) pushing his glasses with a not an arrogant look, but a stern one. "Please Naegi, hearing this is really getting sappy. Reality doesn't work that way, I'm afraid. You can take what I said to heart or to offend you, but sitting around feeling sorry isn't going to move us forward. Nobody saw this coming, not even him, and he's supposed to see the future." Everyone caught on to that _subtle_ notion, if one could call it that.

"Anyways, the best we can do for the poor girl is to find evidence in this place before the trial commences. The more we mope, the more time we waste," he finished sternly.

This of course did not sit well for the swimmer who glared at Togami. "You heartless jerk, don't you dare say anything like that-"

"No, Asahina. He's right."

Asahina's eyes widened when she heard Makoto stirring up from his shell-shocked stupor as he turned to the girl and clasped on her shoulders as a small smile graced his features.

"But Naegi-san, he was-'"

"Helping, well...in his way. But he's right...we can get through this, we can't something as awful as thing get us into losing hope before we even began. That's what Monokuma want us to do, mope, feel sorry, do nothing, blame shifting, and betraying each other. And I said I will not let that happen. So we need to do the best we can to help Sayaka is to find whoever done this and keep on living and find the way out of here, for her. And sadly, many others who will lose their lives in this twisted game," Makoto said.

The swimmer stared in silence at the speech Makoto gave, and she's not the only one. Everyone stood and listened to the luckster's words of optimism during this bleak time. While to most it sounds too optimistic and hopeful, it's better than nothing. Harsh facts needs optimism to balance it out, or else it would be pessimistic.

Kibo walked up with a smile of his own. "Naegi-senpai is right. While it hurts and we can blame each other all day, the end result will be for naught. I may not been awake during the incident, but I can help you anyway I can to catch the person responsible for taking Ms. Sayaka's life."

Kirumi let out a bow. "I may be a maid, but I do specialize in many other fields. It would be an honor to help you people in this endeavor to find the perpetrator."

A beefy hand sets on Asahina's head and looked up to find Sakura's determined expression on her scarred features. "While her death was saddening, staying stuck in an emotional rut will bear no fruit. I can blame myself all day, but I know that's not the way she would've want us to go. You can count on that we will find the coward and bring them to justice. They will pay for their crime."

Junko let out a smirk of her own. "Don't worry, Naegi boy. We'll catch that creep."

Byakuya stared at the scene and let out a light scoff, believing it to be a waste of time. "I hate to break up the moment, but don't you think we should get going?" he asked slightly irritated.

The luckster let out a cough as he and Asahina stood up. He looked at the heir and let out a smile. "You're right, Togami. We need to get started. Let's look around and find what's important that'll help us to catch the murderer," he stated.

Without a second, the group went to investigating the entire room, scrutinizing each and every inch of it, trying to find anything out of place or helpful for them. They scavenged the entire room to find anything in the messy room, but bearing no fruit. Makoto looked beside where the table was knocked down and found something that made his eyes widened. He found a splintered piece of wood that looked like it's not from the table nor any of the other wooden objects in the room. It looked rather polished than the table even. Is it possible that this is related to the crime?

 _ ***TRUTH BULLET***_

"Hey guys, I found a good chunk of polished wood around here. It doesn't have the same pattern from the table and any other wooden pieces in the bedroom," Makoto called out.

Katakuri walked to the boy and gestured to see the chunk. Makoto gave the giant the piece and watched Katakuri examining the piece. The giant was quiet for a moment as he continued to examine the piece.

"And you found this among the mess?" he asked.

Naegi nodded. "Yeah. It looked like it was broken off of something, maybe someone. But you didn't see any marks indicating that Sayaka was hit with a blunt object, right?"

Katakuri nodded. "No, I didn't. She was stabbed in one motion and bled to death in a manner of seconds because the wound was at the kidney area. No signs of blunt force or any self-defense injuries on her body," he replied.

Asahina raised an eyebrow. "But, if that piece is not from around here, then where would the killer get something like that? And why is it here?" she asked quizzically.

"Then something is amiss. There is a possibility that the killer either knock loud enough for Sayaka only to hear, or they forced entry. But forced entry sounds too far-fetched since the door's locks are requiring for a student's keycard for entry. There's no possible way that the killer used the suspected object to pry it open without risking waking anyone up," Sakura said.

Strangely, the one who was not putting any effort for looking for evidence with the group was Junko. She was busy preening with her fingernails like they were jewelry. She wasn't going to bend over and sully her looks just for some dead girl's-

"Enoshima."

The girl in question looked up and met her eyes with Kirigiri's whose was scrutinizing the fashionista. The lavender girl's lips formed a thin frown as she stared at Junko. "While good looks may be important to you, it will be very appreciative if you actually put effort to find whatever evidence the killer left behind. If you keep avoiding like that, keeping up good lucks and preening yourself will be the last thing you ever do," Kirigiri said seriously.

Enoshima rolled her eyes as she let out a small puff. "Tch, fine whatever. As long as it'll get you off my behind, I'll do it," she replied with her usual sarcastic tone. Kyoko gave the girl one last look before continuing scavenging the bedroom. Junko walked to the where the messed up bed is and lazily scanned the area. She was about to move on to the next area but something caught her eye underneath the frame of the bed.

She pulled the item out of the bed and her eyes harshly shifted from lazy and uninterested to shocked and terrified. She held in her shocked gasp as she examined the item from the frame. How did this came in here?! Who had it, and why?! But...there's way that, unless...unless!

"Find something that'll help us, Ms. Enoshima?" Kibo asked as he scanned the other side of the room with Byakuya and Kirumi.

Junko turned around, trying to keep her composure intact without making anyone suspicious of her jumpiness, especially with _him_ here. "Ugh, same as always Mr. Roboto, kaput," she snidely joked.

Kibo sighed a bit from the joke at him but brushed it off as he continued to help the others. Inwardly, Junko sighed as she looked at the others doing their thing. Sakura, Asahina, and Makoto are looking around the table area. Kirigiri is going towards the body, Byakuya and Kirumi are looking at the walls, and Kibo and Katakuri are talking about closing off the scene from others to avoid contaminating the crime scene.

Taking the little window, Enoshima looked at the item and took very few seconds to think about to do something about it, until an idea popped into her head.

Yeah, she'll do that.

"So anyways, it would seem that the best choice is to close off the bedroom. If we let anyone else in, it will contaminate the crime scene. Plus, it will stop anyone from trying to look at Sayaka's body as if it's a sideshow," Byakuya suggested.

Katakuri stood up as he let out a hum of agreement to the heir. "You're right. For now on, each and every one of us in here has the authority of the crime scene. Anyone outside of us has no grounds to enter in risk of tampering evidence. Sakura, you and I will stand guard and keep out of any outsiders. We'll switch whenever we need to do something else that'll help the investigation."

The martial artist nodded. "I'll go first. It'll help us a lot to keep them away. I'll even use force if any one of them will be more demanding," she said as she walked to the doorway along with Asahina who wanted to tag along with her best friend and closed the door behind them.

Katakuri turned to the others and cleared his throat to get their attention. "For now on, this is officially a crime scene. Every person who comes into this room will potentially destroys the evidence. If any of you can let the others know of the situation, it will be extremely helpful. Sakura and I will guard the scene to keep out outsiders. As well, see if any of you can encourage every else and yourselves to remain calm and begin accounting for alibis. I'm not sure how much time we have concerning the investigation, but each and every second must be used with absolute care. With the plethora of suspects piling up, we will use each and every minute preciously."

Everyone nodded and what it felt like an hour has passed, Byakuya and Kirumi left on their own, Asahina and Sakura stand guard at the entrace, Junko left almost wordlessly, leaving only Kibo, Makoto, Kyoko, and Katakuri. The crimsonhead turned to Sayaka's body and he couldn't shake the feeling that there is more to it than gathering evidence and finding the culprit.

It's true that she died from blood loss, but how could she scream like that and immediately she succumbed to the massive blood loss. In fact, when he looked closer, the blood spill is pretty big considering she screamed and bled out. Stabbing someone in the kidney area is excruciating (he know how it feels), and the blood loss is severe, but it all depends on how deep the wound is. He needs to find out more about it, so he turns to the person who can detect life signs, including the deceased.

"Hey Kibo, would you mind staying a bit longer?" Katakuri asked.

The robot turned to the giant and nodded. "Of course, but if I may incline to ask, for what purpose?"

"I need your ability to scan life signals, I have a feeling we need to take a closer look at Sayaka," he replied.

Kyoko's eyebrows quipped when he heard that. "I guess that you're going to get a closer look, I presume? You believe there's more to it than a simple murder case?" she asked.

The giant nodded. "Yeah, there is more to this than an everyday murder case. If you feel uncomfortable about this, then I won't feel animosity towards you," he said.

The luckster shook his head. "No, it's not that. But if you feel something is off than you think, then I'll help you whatever it takes."

Kibo smiled as well. "Exactly. I'll do what you need me to do to solve this for Miss Maizono's sake," he added.

Kirigiri folded her arms. "I'll find whatever the smallest and significant details possible to bring this case to an end."

Katakuri looked at the three and nodded as he looked at the closed door with Sakura and Asahina guarding it from trespassers. He turned back to the bloodied bathroom and to the three. He shifted his head towards the crime scene direction.

"Alright then, let's get to it."

* * *

 **Second Day**

 **First Floor**

 **Hallway**

 **3:22 a.m**

Meanwhile outside the room, Sakura and Asahina stand guard for any trespassers that'll come into the room and ruin the evidence. The martial artists stood like a statuesque giant with her arms folded as Asahina stood with her fists on her hips. While Sakura bears her usual stern and serious face, Asahina puffed her cheeks in an attempt to look stern.

"Hey Sakura?" Asahina asked as she turned to her beefy friend.

"What is it, Asahina?" she asked.

"I honestly don't know it'll get worse from here. I mean, Sayaka has been murdered while all of us are asleep and we couldn't do anything about it. It's just, I can't stomach the idea that more of us will get axed just for some psycho's sick kicks. Why us?" Hina asked with her eyebrows furrowed.

Sakura let out a sigh. "I don't know, Asahina. I honestly can't say why we're going through this torture, and I can't say why the killer would take out Miss Maizono, but I can say is that we will do whatever we can to avenge Sayaka and bring the criminal to justice. And once we're at the of this, I will make sure the fiend behind this will pay a hundred fold. That I can say, Asahina." she replied.

Asahina let out a shaky sigh as she looked down at the floor. The reason why she's so shook up is not the fact that her friend has been murdered in such a cowardly way, but that _she's_ the only one that might've known what happened before the murder took place. Besides, she was the only student who woke up during that time to sneak out and get a midnight donut to try to cope with the grim situation.

"S-Sakura..."

"Hmm, what is it Hina?" she asked.

Asahina let out another sigh as she looked up to her friend. She wanted to tell her, she really do, but she doesn't want to worry her about her personal struggles or want her to think that she's an accomplice of the murder. Her stomach churns with anxiety of telling Sakura, but she has to do it-no, she must do it. For her sake, Sakura's sake, but especially, for Sayaka's sake.

"I...I have something I need to tell you," Asahina said nervously.

The martial artist raised an eyebrow at her friend's skittishness and anxiety all of a sudden. "What's the matter, Asahina? What's on your mind?"

Swallowing a lump of saliva, the swimmer opened her lips to tell Sakura the truth but suddenly, both of them heard multiple footsteps coming their way. They turned and saw students coming their way with Kaito leading the charge as they arrived. Along with him are the rest of Kaede's group, part of Ishimaru's group, and part of Twogami's group.

"Hey, is this the room where Sayaka's at?" Kaito asked urgently.

Putting back her serious visage, Sakura replied. "Yes, this is the place."

"Then, it wouldn't be too much to ask of you is to let us in so we can help to find the coward responsible?" Kaito exclaimed as he pounded his fists together.

The muscular warrior folded her arms. "Sorry, but I can't allow you to do that." she stated firmly.

Mondo growled. "W-Wha-?! W-Why the hell not? We need to find the son of a bitch who did such a thing!"

"No, if you guys barge in, you will risk contaminating and destroying the evidence. We can't allow any anomalies coming in during the investigation," Sakura replied calmly, not fazed by the biker's choice of words.

Kaede walked up to the duo. "Please, if we can't be in there to help out, maybe you could at least tell us what they found so we can add in on the investigation?" she pleaded.

"I'm sorry Akamatsu, but we can't allow anyone to enter without tampering the evidence with your presence. As harsh as it sounds, we can't let anyone, including us to be in there without doing more harm than good," Sakura rebutted. The pianist felt despondent by the fact.

"Could you at least tell us who told you two to stand watch anyways, we're sure we can convince them to let us in and help those doing the scavenging," Leon asked.

Sakura once again shook her head. "That won't happen. You wouldn't be able to move that person even if you scream and beg at him to let you in." she replied.

Fuyuhiko let out a growl. "Who's the smartass that says otherwise?" he muttered angrily.

Asahina turned to the gangster and folded her arms. "That's Katakuri who told us to watch y'all from entering in," she said with finality. Everyone immediately went quiet as they heard the crimsonhead's name mentioned. All the ire they had towards them dropped when they heard that Katakuri prohibited them from entering the crime scene. Sakura and Asahina had a short moment of relief when they saw the crestfallen and nervous looks on the students' faces but it was cut short by a snort.

"I don't know what the big guy is hiding from us, but we can't just stand around doing nothing while the ones in there are doing the investigating! We have much a part of getting out of here as y'all do! We need to do this!" Kaito exclaimed.

Sakura exhaled through her nostrils to calm herself from their impatience. "I know it's troubling but you guys need to-"

"Tenko's not surprised that the degenerate king is keeping us from helping find the scumbag who stole a girl's life in her sleep. If Tenko finds out who did this, she will make them pay! And Tenko will get that degenerate king for not letting us get in there!" the Aikido girl shouted.

"Look everybody, please calm down-"

"Isn't it obvious! The real killer is that freak of a friend from that Naegi! In fact, I-I-I'm not surprised if that girl's m-murder was p-planned out! I-I-I always knew!" Toko shrieked hysterically while pointing accusingly at the duo. The now hallways is being filled with arguing, disagreements, and accusations and it's not suiting well for the two.

Sakura raised her voice to stand out from the clamor. "Guys, stop this nonsense, yelling and screaming and arguing like this will get us nowher-"

"S-S-Shut up, i-if y'all are hiding something, t-then that means a-all of you are in it as well!" Fukawa exclaimed.

"SHUT UP!"

The clamor from the students immediately stopped dead when they saw the normally bubbly Aoi Asahina standing there, baring her teeth at the students with her eyes filled with impatience, frustration, and rage. Every student's faces was filled with stunned shock from the out-of-character yelling from someone like Asahina, but especially Sakura who stared at her friend with an expression that's almost if she didn't recognize her fellow friend.

"This is a crime scene, not a sideshow! Katakuri just wanted all of you to get out of the way and put us in charge from not letting any of you tamper evidence! And no, we are just as horrified from Sayaka-san's death as much as you guys are, but how dare you accuse us for being in on it!" Asahina jabbed her finger at the writer, who cowered before her trying to hide her face behind her pigtails. Taking a deep breath, Asahina let out another scream that filled the entire hallway.

"Just leave us alone and get out of here!" Asahina screamed, surprising everyone by her tone especially Sakura. She never seen Asahina like this, she's hardly one to ever snap at someone like that.

The students stood there agape by the swimmer's yelling. Their attempts of trying to get in in all dropped after that, leaving the hallway in an awkward silence for a good few seconds until Twogami coughed to break it. "We deeply apologize that we're nosing in into your business. It'll be best if we take our leave and do something else that'll help bring the perpetrator to justice. Once again, Miss Ogami and Miss Asahina, we deeply apologize. Everyone, to the dining hall."

After his apology, he walked away to head to the dining hall along with the students taking their leave as well in awkward silence. As some of the students murmured about what has transpired, Asahina panted as she glared at the empty spot of where the students were.

Sakura stared at her friend in shock. In all her years she's known Asahina, she knew she'll never lash out like that out of nowhere. "What's wrong, Asahina? What's bothering you?" she asked.

The swimmer snapped out of her angered stupor as she realized what she's done and the anger turned into guilt and sadness. "I-I-I'm so sorry Sakura, I-I didn't mean to worry you like this...i-it's just..

"Asahina, we're friends for years, you can tell me what's on your mind, you can tell me anything and I won't judge you or hold you against it," the fighter urged.

Asahina bit her lip as she looked at the ground. She wanted to tell her so bad, she really do...but she remembered her conversation with Katakuri, talking about something that she didn't told to her own best friend. She felt dirty just by thinking that she afraid to tell Sakura her deepest personal problems. Letting out a deep sigh, she decided to go with her heart is telling her.

"It's nothing, Sakura. Sorry for making you worry, it's nothing important. Let's just get back to guarding, shall we?" Asahina replied in an obvious rushed way. She went back to her pseudo serious pose.

Sakura wanted to keep asking her what's her problem but she knows that Asahina will block her away and push her even further. While it hurt her that her best friend is acting so dodgy, she'll make it worse by keep asking on the subject, so she decided to drop it and went back to guarding the room from trespassers. The martial artist turned her eyes to the busty girl and inwardly let out a sigh.

 _'Asahina, what's wrong with you? What's going through your mind?'_ Sakura asked pleadingly.

* * *

 **Second Day**

 **First Floor**

 **Dormitories**

 **3:15 a.m**

Byakuya walked back into his dorm and wiped his glasses clean. He needed to freshen up before the game even begins. He's going to make the best of the situation, regardless of what the others think of how he views the Killing Game. Before he gets started, he heard Kirumi following him with her usual tact expression on her face.

Byakuya's room is a step up from the default room like Makoto's. His bed sheets, tablecloths, and chairs are ostentatious and intricate in their design as they embodied Togami's royalty. On top of his floral chester is a vanity mirror and a large stand that has over ten pairs of his trademark glasses. There's a vase of roses on top of his table. Not only that, there are several paintings on the walls that are amazing paintings of flowers in variety: roses, daisies, carnations, tulips, primroses and so forth. On the far corner beside his intricate bed is a violin with a stand with sheet music and behind the frame of the bed is a large collection of coins.

Oh, and there's a red carpet leading from the entrance to add in the pretentiousness of his room.

"I certainly hope that we get to the bottom of this real soon. Poor Sayaka, I should've expected any one of us to be killed considering the circumstances but, it's just so soon. Too soon to be taken away for some psychopath's pleasure," she said.

Togami let out a huff. "She should've been more on her guard. Honestly, seeing them crying like that was really getting on my nerves. They never should be naive and foolish enough to believe that no one is going to die. This isn't a fantasy," he scoffed.

Tojo turned to the heir, but instead of getting angry or offended by his harsh answer, she asked him a question. "Do you really consider your words to Naegi-senpai to be more beneficial on your part instead of everyone else?"

Byakuya put the glasses back on his face as he let out a smug smile. "Heh, why wouldn't I? Their grumbling was giving me a headache, now we finally get this game going. I would've expected Maizono to be the first to get taken out considering her meltdown yesterday when we watched our videos. People like her will never last long in this."

"And you see yourself coming out on top of this "Killing Game" if I may ask?"

He let out a grin. "Of course, why I'm most certain that I will come out of this game victorious and only then that these lowlifes will now that the Togami family are truly the cream of the crop. And of course, after I dispose the mastermind behind this. Though I will give them props: putting total strangers in a life-or-death game where only one will make it alive with all these betrayals, murders, and tension along the way does seem promising."

Byakuya grabbed some towels from the drawer as he prepares himself to clean himself off. But right before he enters, he turns to the maid. "And since you're here now and your talent is the **Ultimate Maid** , would it be appropriate for you to prepare me some clothes?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

Kirumi nodded and gave him a small bow. "I take my job very seriously, Togami-sensei," she replied.

Byakuya let out a smirk. "Finally, it's about time someone actually knows their place." He found some body wash on the top of his chester, but right before he enters the shower, Kirumi stopped him.

"Do you honestly see yourself above everyone else? Need I remind you of who put you in your place in the first place?" she asked rhetorically.

Instantly, the prodigy's arrogant attitude abruptly shifted to anger and a tinge of fear. He sharply turned to the stoic maid with a sneer on his features as fury and embarrassment emerged in his eyes. "Don't ever mention that thing. That beast don't know nothing about my family or our strength, and it is definitely going to be the first to experience my wrath once it outlive its usefulness," he spat.

He leaned towards Kirumi's face with the same snarl on his face from her mention of Katakuri. "So, it would be in best interest if you don't ever mention that name, while I'm here...Miss Kirumi Tojo," he warned quietly.

With her same stoic expression, Kirumi bowed lightly. "I deeply apologize for offending you, Togami-sensei. I will wait until you're finish with your business."

Togami glared at the maid. He wordlessly turned around before giving her another hard glare until he entered the bathroom and slammed the door, leaving Kirumi on her own. It became silent until Tojo heard the shower knobs squeaking and the shower running. Now it's her with her thoughts in her mind.

Even though he was in her face, Kirumi still held her composure despite smelling his breath. Honestly, if she wasn't so calm and composed, she would've either punch him square in the face or continue to push his buttons by reminding him of his humiliation from the gym yesterday. From both the Togami twin and Katakuri. But she's not so petty as to act so immature and condescending. While she is a maid and she expects such treatment from her earlier masters, they were grown-ups compared to Byakuya.

While she does see Byakuya as her senior, she still believes that he needs to learn that everything is not about him. And she is about to teach him that, even if it means mentioning Katakuri around him to give him a reality check.

But for now, let's keep it professional.

* * *

 **Second Day**

 **First Floor**

 **Gym**

 **3:46 a.m**

"Kekeke, talk about surprising. Not even taking hesitation, the killer took the most opportune time to strike one of us down, with no witnesses to that as well. I may say that it was an ingenious move for the killer," Korekiyo smiled.

Mondo growled as he glared at the anthropologist. "Tch, show some respect asshole."

"My apologies, I didn't mean to come across as disrespectful, just found the feat to be extraordinary despite being a curfew set by Monokuma. This shows that we need to be extra watchful for something like this happening again," Shinguji offered.

Ishimaru nodded as he stared at Korekiyo with caution. "While his choice of words may be callous, he does have a point. If something like this happens again, then we need to do a roll call every day to keep track of everyone once we get through this."

Celeste twirled her hair as she smiled at the hall monitor. "Well well, a rather effective suggestion I might add. I say that it'll occur either in the dining hall or the gym, I guess?"

Ishimaru looked at her and nodded. "Of course, it'll help us to stay in line and avoid any more cowardly acts such as this. Every day after we wake up, we will do a roll call in the dining room to make sure everyone has a good breakfast and ready to go through further down the line," he added.

Fuyuhiko let out a low growl as he glared at the floor with his arms folded. "That spineless shit, murdering someone as Sayaka while everyone is asleep. When I get a hold on them, I'll make them beg for their life," he snarled.

The biker let out a sharp look of his own. "Get in line, buddy. Not once after I pulverize them to the very dirt."

Kaede gave the both of them disapproving looks as she put her hands on her hips. "Now guys, thinking like that will get us nowhere. And since Katakuri was very strict on closing off the scene from any one of us, we need to do something that'll help those who are investigating," she suggested.

Toko gave a glare at the blonde as she let out a sneer. "A-And how are we s-supposed to that, genius? We're kicked out until the trial come," she scowled slightly.

Nagito smiled. "It's quite simple, really. Those of us who are not participating in the investigation will work to establish any solid, credible alibis. We can't be too lenient of how long we have, so it'll help us greatly once we cross off any potential suspects," he explained.

Kaede let out a grin as she gave Komaeda a bright smile. "Amazing idea, Nagito! That's what we definitely need to do, and since you mentioned about a very possible time limit, we will need to do that in groups," she added.

"I agree with that as well, Miss Akamatsu! Being in groups is much more cooperative and resourceful than going as individuals, plus, it'll keep us in line!" Ishimaru exclaimed, while receiving dark looks from Fuyuhiko and Mondo due to his volume.

Kokichi let out a mischievous grin as he snickered. "Hmmm, great ideas...but since the killer struck during our sleep...was it possible that any one of us ever took in consideration of pulling this off regardless of the rules Monokuma set?"

"Then it would seems that the ordinance needs to be reinforced if we're gonna make it out of this in one piece," Twogami replied with a bitter expression on his face.

Celestia rested her finger on her face as her ruby gaze settled upon Nagito. "Well then, why don't you get started Nagito dear?"

The **Ultimate Luckster** smiled at her gaze as he rested his head on his hands. "Well, if garbage like me had to be the first, then it will be my pleasure." Nagito didn't caught the frown that appeared on Kaede's face as he called himself garbage. She hated how he keep putting himself down while lifting everyone else up. "I was among the rest of my fantastic group. Miss Akamatsu wanted all of us get our rest after we discovered the infirmary. Her, Shuichi, Kaito, Himiko, Tenko, Rantaro, Hifumi, and Tsumugi went off to their dormitories for the time being," Nagito explained.

Kokichi let out a cheeky grin as he folded his hands behind his head. "Well, that counted everyone in your group, but I couldn't help but notice that you left yourself out. Did you decided to clock in after everyone else?" he asked mischievously.

Nagito turned to the trickster and while his face still has the same platonic smile, one observant enough would see it contained a tiny bit of edge on it. "Oh me? As usual, I would love to take a lovely stroll beside each team member of mine just in case someone tries to pull something. But I'm afraid I should've been on guard just a bit longer, unfortunately there's so much a person can take before their body and mind needs rest," he added.

"Let me make this clear for all of you: the art of Neo-Aikido is never used to take one's life! I also would never harm someone, especially if it's a girl in the middle of the night. Like this poor male here, I went in my room to do some phantom practices before I went to bed," Tenko exclaimed boldly.

"Nyeh, do I have to give out one? *sigh* Fine, I was low on mana so it's only natural that a mage needs to get a lot of sleep to restore," Himiko added lazily as she let out a cute yawn, which made the Aikido girl squeal in excitement.

"You tell them Himiko-chan! No one should ever bother you when you need stamina to channel your mana!" Tenko chimed loudly, which made the redhead magician grumble by her obnoxiousness.

Hifumi pushed his glasses back to the bridge of his nose as he smiled smugly. "Well I clearly devote all my time in making new fanfiction and costume designs, thanks to Miss Shirogane here to inspiring me. Anyways, I may look big, but I clearly am not one in the strength department," he said. Hifumi deflated a bit as he let out a frown. "Real shame, I can stay up till the sun rises working on my fanfics, but when it comes to doing real exercise, I'll pass out in just a few seconds." After his self-aware jab, everyone around him let out a light chuckle at the fact. May have been a light one, but a situation such as this needs to have some levity, even if it means the dispense of insulting oneself.

Tsumugi rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "Y-Yeah, guilty as charged. I too stay up a little bit when I went into my dorm working on some more cosplay ideas and designs. Whenever an idea pops into my mind, sleep is the least of my concerns unless I make clothes sloppily," she added.

Rantaro chuckled mirthlessly. "Unfortunately for me, I don't have anyone to vouch for me since we're having the mindset that any one of us is lying about our alibis. It's such a shame that it's only credible to those who are doing something else during the curfew or not following it."

"Hey guys, sorry we're late, we were holed up for a moment." Everyone in the hall turned around and saw Sonia's group walking in with Kazuichi leading the charge.

"Well well well, look who shows up. Don't you peeps have anything you can bet your lives on? Shishishi," Kokichi snickered.

"Hmph, sorry to bust your train of thought, but you might as well take us out of the equation. I was with Kibo before I hit the sack," Soda grinned folding his arms.

Toko's glasses flashed as a blush appeared on her face. "W-What were you doing with him? I-I-Is this some k-kind of romance...between man and machine? Metal meets flesh?" she asked flustered.

"Ugh, what the hell?" Mondo grimaced.

"Wha-hell no! Why would you even think like that?! I was basically checking out Kibo's sysems and seeing how they function. It's actually pretty awesome and he as pretty cool with me examining him of his design," Kazuichi offered.

"Hehehe...examined..." Fukawa muttered as she fiddled with her pigtails as fantasies filled her head with lewd images of Kibo and Soda.

"Not that kind of examining!" Soda yelled out.

"Heh, me and my Four Devas were training to overcome the Nine Realm's demon so we can finally confront it and defeat it once and for all!" Gundham exclaimed boldly as he stretched his arm and his four hamsters emerged doing a pose. Everyone sweatdrop at the sight and clearly crossed Tanaka off their list of suspects.

Hagakure pointed his thumb at himself proudly. "And knowing me, I needed some rest to clear my mind so I can be prepared for any more premonitions will come to my mind. I just wish I can find my crystal ball so it'll strengthen it even more," he offered.

"Ugh, talentless hack," Himiko grumbled as she glared at the idiot.

Hiro gasped at her insult. "W-W-Wha-?! I'm not talentless, I can clearly see the future, just like how I saw how that freak would show himself out of that scarf! The only one who is a hack is you," he rebutted as he pointed at the magician who didn't took it too lightly.

"At least magic is real and takes actual work, unlike your silly fortune telling mumbo-jumbo!" Himiko snapped back.

"And I told you, magic doesn't exist!" Hiro retorted.

Himiko pulled her staff out and pointed it at him with a hard glare. "And I told you magic exist! If you keep saying it doesn't exist..." Himiko's frown turned into a smug smile as her hat shadowed her eyes. "I'll summon my Big Bro to take care of you." she warned ominously.

Tenko's eyebrows quirked at the mention of Big Bro and her face grimaced and at the same time shows fear. "Big Bro...you still call him Big Bro?" she asked.

Himiko smiled wider. "Katakuri will always be my favorite big brother, he's the one who'll help me with my mana," she replied.

Instantly, Hiro's red face of anger and frustration dropped to an icy blue by the mention of the giant menace. "B-B-B-Big B-B-Bro? Y-Y-Y-You m-m-mean that he's...?" he sputtered.

The magician nodded smugly. "Nyeh, yep. He'll come and beat you up, so don't make me summon him," she warned. Everyone turned their eyes to the fortuneteller and they all had the same nervous and angry expressions that pretty much yelled at Hiro: Keep your mouth shut if you know what's good for us!

Gulping down a large lump of saliva, Hiro wiped the sweat from his forehead and backed away from the magician holding his hands in a surrendering motion. "Heh heh, n-n-no problem girl...n-no problem. I have no beef with ya, l-let's keep it friendly...h-h-hehe, just please don't bring him here," he pleaded and chuckled nervously.

The redhead let out a smirk as she sat back down with her staff to her side. Serves that fraud right. Tenko cheered as she's happy that her Himiko-chan put a degenerate in his place. "Haha, serves you right, that's the way to do it Himiko-chan! Tenko's here to help you fight against any other males!" she exclaimed, causing the boys in the room to stare at her awkwardly.

Leon cleared his throat. "We're right here, you know," he said to the fanatic girl who gave him a glare that reeled him back a bit.

"Alright everyone, calm down. We're getting off track here, we need to give out a solid account before the trial begins and sitting here yelling and arguing over petty things is doing nothing but waste time, something we cannot waste. So let's all just stop these meaningless squabbles and get back to the task at hand?" Twogami ordered putting everyone back in order.

"Are there any more accounts in your group Miss Nevermind?" Twogami asked.

The princess nodded her head as she laced her fingers. "Yes, me and Gundham were sitting and discussing a few of our favorite hobbies. We've lost track of time and we decided to cut it short for us go to bed and then...you know." Her hands touched the area where her heart is. "Even though I'm glad neither of my teammates are hurt in any way, my heart goes out to Makoto and his group for their loss," she said sadly.

"Miss Sonia," Soda sighed sadly.

"Indeed, the Dark Queen and I were engaged in a rather involved discussion. My Devas and I were resting to get ready for our rematch against the demon from the Nine Realms until the announcement woke us up from our important slumber," the breeder mused.

Kazuichi wilted slightly at hearing that Sonia and Gundham were spending time together. His odds of impressing Sonia was tanking fast.

"Y-Yeah, Angie and I were also together too. Ain't that right, Angie?" Hagakure grinned to the artist.

"Ooh yes indeed! Hagakure here had so many questions about Atua and Angie just had to tell him the answers to please him," the girl mused with a smile.

Leon let out a chuckle as he rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, it looks like none of us are good with this curfew. Me and Ibuki were discussing different ideas on the songs I'm writing about, she had to most of the writing."

Kaede's eyes peeked at the baseball player's covered right hand and noticed a few bandages. They looked quite fresh. "Hey Leon, I hate to sound nosy but what's wrong with your hand here?" she asked curiously which also earned some looks from the students as they want to know as well.

Leon let out a nervous chuckle. "Heh, well it's a long story girl. I'm just glad I've got the painkillers to numb the pain, maybe we should focus more on this case than my well-being huh? I-Is it true...is Sayaka really..." he trailed off weakly.

"Yeah man, I can't believe it, I wish it was some kind of sick joke," Hiro sighed as he rubbed his forehead.

"I prayed that Atua will watch over her and protect her in his arms from the other side. I have no doubt he will guide us through this ordeal as well, we musn't lose our faith and he will lead us to victory," Angie smiled seemingly unfazed by the situation.

"Well Ibuki here just like Rooster had said was helping him to not suck at music. Ibuki was about to get some killer sleep and then BAM, the announcement went off," Ibuki exclaimed loudly.

Twogami sighed. "I do believe that covers the entirety of Sonia's group. Perhaps we should shift our attention elsewhere?"

"Everyone is our group has an alibi," a voice called out.

Everyone turned around and saw Hajime's group walking in. Hajime had a frustrated look on his face, Chiaki had her hood up as she and Miu who surprisingly had a calm expression walked along with Chihiro who looked better, but still shook by Sayaka's death. Mahiru helped the still sobbing Mikan to a nearby chair and comforted the poor girl to get her composure back.

Kaede offered a sympathetic smile before she folded her hands on her lap. "What do you mean by that, Nanami? Would you think you could explain what you mean?"

Chiaki sat down next to Fujisaki, Miu, and Mikan and pulled her hood down before she lifted her head slowly to meet everyone's gaze at them. "Hajime, Fujisaki, Miu, Kirigiri, Mahiru, Mikan, and I were together in the A.V. room along with Makoto's group after curfew. Fujisaki had an idea that'll help us find any information regarding the mastermind and a way out of here, but unfortunately Monokuma caught us red-handed. Then after that failed attempt and raising her spirits, we went to our dorms and went to sleep and you know, the rest is history," she explained quietly.

"Exactly, so you might as well cross us and Naegi's team off your lists. We were not behind all of this so please fuck off and move on," Iruma snapped as she shivered uncontrollably from the numerous eyes on her. Though Fujisaki is by her side, she couldn't bring herself to fuck her off because that'll be crude and despicable, even for her. The shy programmer hadn't said a word ever since the announcement and while she's not broken like earlier, she's still alternating between quiet sobs and blank stares.

However, her language didn't set well for the hall monitor. Ishimaru's jaws tensed as he stood up. "Miss Iruma, would you please filter your mou-"

"God, would you just shut the fuck up?! It's nearly 5 in the morning and we have a murder in our hands because of some cowardly asswipe decided to do it in our sleep and gave in to that shitpile of a bear. This is _not_ the time for any of your uptightness, so loosen up your panties, and shut the fuck up!" Fuyuhiko growled as he adjusted his suit and glared at the moral compass.

Ishimaru bristled by the insult but decided not the engage in such pointless fights. He settled for a slight scowl as he sat back down.

"Please ignore that ass. Let's get this shitshow out of the way. The seven of us separated to our own rooms after that sideshow that freak gave us. I was with Peko during the latter hours until we decided to head off to our own rooms to get some rest until that announcement came up hours later. You do the math, no way any of us would choose to fuck around and fiddle with stuff knowing full well to be ready for the next day," Fuyuhiko explained with his arms folded as Peko nodded in agreement.

Mondo snorted. "Heh, don't look at me. I was passed the hell out way before that bear decided to wake us up."

"As was I. Unlike some people, I follow rules to the T," Ishimaru exclaimed.

 **"I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF TAKING A LATE NIGHT SHIT WHEN THAT ANNOUNCEMENT WENT OFF! AKANE AND I HAD BEEN EXERCISING IN MY ROOM BEFORE WE WENT TO OUR ROOMS AND GET OUR SLEEP!"** Nekomaru bellowed.

Kaede blinked. "Ummm, I'm not sure how the first part is relevant, but I can't deny what you said Nidai-senpai."

"Hehe, I decided to amp up my exercise so I can be ready to tango with Katakuri. He's definitely something else and I'm more than excited to see it through," Akane laughed boisterously.

Then all of a sudden, Kokichi started laughing as he clenched his stomach. The buxom girl didn't like it and scowled at the short boy as he wiped some tears from her eyes. "Shishishi, that's rich. You going to fight against that thing? I can't wait to see him throttle you to the ground, it'll be so funny." he grinned.

Owari growled at the leader. "That's just your opinion, jackass. Wait and see how much I can do. I'm not smart but not dumb enough to not know the most obvious of things," she scowled.

Sonia offered a warm smile at the tall entomologist who'd yet to speak. "What about you, Gonta?"

Gonta looked troubled but allowed a warm expression as he scratched his head. "Ummm, Gonta had a chat with Mahiru on how to be a better gentleman. Then after talk, Gonta made sure his bug friends are alright before sleep. But Gonta's ashamed that he can't stop evil person from taking Miss Maizono's life. Some gentleman I am..." he explained sadly.

Mahiru shook her head. "Don't be ashamed Gonta. There's nothing we can do when that happened, so please don't put yourself down like that. She wouldn't want you to do that to yourself," she scolded lightly as she continues to comfort the traumatized Fujisaki.

The entomologist let out a sigh as he rubbed his arm. "Yeah..."

The silence in the room after Gonta's statment was broken from Kaede's table drumming. The pianist cleared her throat. "I guess that covers Ishimaru's group, I suppose it's our turn. We

"I believe that only leaves my group and those who decided to be on their own," Twogami mused as he adjusted his glasses. "Me personally, I remained in my quarters and like all of you I abided by my own devices until I slumbered. And of course, my sleep was harshly cut off by the announcement."

"For once, I decided to go along with Hammy's order and fell asleep until that annoying alarm went off," Hiyoko pouted slightly as she crossed her arms.

"Tch...I was busy w-with my writing...don't writers n-normally have writer's block or something? S-So what's more is there to say about m-my dedication to w-writing?" Fukawa scowled.

Hanamaru looked around a bit before letting out a sigh. "To be honest, I don't have a good alibi like all of you. I was so paranoid about late night ambushes I decided to barricade the door with my furniture. Of course, it took me a bit longer for me to get out of there once the alarm went off. Last item took me six minutes tops," he chuckled sheepishly.

Korekiyo wordlessly looked around the room. "Oh, is it my turn already. I do apologize, just like Teruteru here I do not possess an adequate alibi."

"Neither do I, deary. I was up a bit playing solitaire and poker before bed. Mmm, it may sounds pointless and unnecessary," Celestia mused with a light smile.

Kokichi was practically bouncing in his seat as he grinned wildly. "Oooh, is it my turn? Well knowing me, I was up to no good of course. I was checking the locks on the sealed doors my group found earlier. I have to say, whoever was the culprit was no slouch, that door was sealed tight."

"So you fully admitted that you was in the hallways during the time of the murder?" Twogami asked as he settled a pointed look at Kokichi.

The supreme leader offered a shrug. "Beats me, I don't know. I was lying by trying to pick the locks. Of course when I was about to go to my bed, I heard that girl's shrill scream and figured that the game had begun and followed you chaps to investigate and of course those two ward us off."

"Demented little shit," Fuyuhiko snarled at the boy.

"Let us stay on point. I supposed that everyone's account concerning the case? We know that Kirumi is just as obeying the rules as much as those do, and she's with Byakuya at the moment, I don't know why. We still didn't have the accounts from those who decided to remain alone. Byakuya, Ryoma, Maki, and of course Katakuri. All of them are not accounted of as of right now as we speak," Twogami mused.

Nagito offered a thin smile as he looked around the room. "Well, perhaps we made a lot of progress by shaving our suspect list way down. I suggest we should continue with our own investigation while we can and if we do come across them, we'll ask them for their account. Though I know that the latter one will be nigh impossible because of his...privacy."

Kokichi let out another giggle. "Indeed Komaeda-senpai, while those three prefer to be lone wolves, at least they will come up with something we can count as either a lie or truth, I can't say the same for that monster of Makoto's. It's so easy to pin him to be the one who did it, right? But...we just gotta find out and see that for ourselves, right?" he asked mischievously which made everyone in the room thinking about the high possibility that Makoto's friend was the one responsible for Sayaka's death. While he is gigantic and reclusive, he's not cold-hearted enough for him to murder one of them in cold blood after his displays back at the gym.

Right?

* * *

 **Second Day**

 **First Floor**

 **Dormitory**

 **4:12 a.m**

"Was I right Kibo?" Katakuri asked as he eyed the robot closely who was currently knelt down beside Sayaka's body.

The boy regarded the stab wound in the abdomen and the signs of wounds on the hands and wrists before he rose to his feet. "Yeah, there is very little doubt. That wound was definitely not deep. While it is in her stomach, she wouldn't have bled to death in a matter of seconds and she couldn't had just let out a scream like that unless the killer stabbed her. I still couldn't put my finger on the timing of the scream," he offered.

"Exactly, that scream was definitely one you cannot ignore, even if you're several meters away. I doubt that anyone could let out a scream like that before they're at death's door or whenever they're seconds away from bleeding to death," Makoto added. "Does that mean that the killer stabbed her and dashed away from the scene or did she let out the scream before they stabbed her. How long did it take for you to get here, Katakuri-san?"

The giant replied as he looked at the body. "At best, I came here in less than a minute, probably half. While I may be tall, I can do enormous strides that can reach from one end of the main hallway to the end in less than a minute tops. There's no way that the killer murdered Maizono then took off before I arrived along with y'all. It's impossible for someone to be that fast to avoid detection."

Kyoko quirked her eyebrow at him. "Then would you would've caught the perpetrator on time since you got here in a very short amount time? As a matter of fact, where were you during the murder, I might ask?" she asked skeptically.

Without missing a beat, Katakuri turned to the lavender haired girl. "I was sleeping outside at the other side of the hall that has your dorm rooms. When all of you went to bed, I did one last round trip to make sure everything is in order before I went to sleep myself. The scream was so loud that it sound like it could be anywhere on this floor," he replied.

"Hmm, that seems fair enough. And we can't say it's you because like you said, you came here seconds before Maizono passed, and we can cross off the possibility because of your height," Kyoko continued as she cupped her chin in a thinking position. _***TRUTH BULLET***_

Makoto nodded at the fact. "Yeah, that's what I thought too. You're original height is 16'8 right? And you changed your height to be comfortable for all of us to around 7'10''-8'. You can barely be into this room without crouching your head a bit just to fit in, I'm surprised you hadn't walked out from feeling stuffy in here."

"I agree with that assessment. So it would safe to assume that the person who attacked Miss Maizono had to be around 5'7''-5'9''. Also that would explain the self-defense wounds on her wrists and hands. I say that the killer and Sayaka had a struggle before the killer used the wooden item to strike Maizono before landing the killing blow. But that still doesn't answer the time frame of the killer's escape and your arrival, Mr. Katakuri," Kibo thought as he looked to the giant.

"Hmm, exactly Kibo. We need to find more on-" Katakuri stopped mid-sentence before something caught his eye as it too gained the three's attention.

"What is it, what did you found Katakuri-san?" Makoto asked.

The crimsonhead crouched down to Sayaka's body and found bloodied writing on the wall behind her lower back. "There's some kind of writing behind her, and her hand looks like she was writing a message before she succumbed to it. The writing may not be the best handwritten but it's still legible enough to be understood.

The writing said 11037.

"11037?" Kibo asked.

"What does that mean, is it some kind dying message she's trying to leave us?" Makoto asked with his fingers cupping his chin.

"Hmmm, perhaps. And while I was outside before I walked in, I noticed Maizono's room plate was on the door. Following my instincts, I pulled out my e-handbook and checked the order of the rooms on this side. And when I saw the order, the order was this: Fukawa, Maizono, Naegi, and Kirigiri." she explained as she took out her e-handbook and shown it to the others who also noticed the out of order of the rooms.

"And by the looks of this room, I suspect that this room belongs to you Naegi since there's no decoration or anything in here. My room is basically yours but in a girl's color. Since this is supposed to be your room Naegi, how come Maizono's name plate is on it?" Kyoko asked. _***TRUTH BULLET***_

Makoto tilted his head. "Why would Maizono done something like that? I mean, I remember right before we head to bed, Sayaka went up to me and asked if we can swap rooms even though I'm pretty sure they're against the rules. She said she was frightened of being there by herself and feeling uncomfortable being in her room, so she asked me if we swap rooms and of course, we did and we slept in each other's rooms. The nameplates that were on the rooms we slept in were the original, but why would they be swapped?"

Kibo pondered for a moment. "It seems as though the killer was trying to pin the murder on you since it took place in your room. It may be small, but if any of this was shown to the others, they'll think that you took part of this," he said.

The luckster clicked his teeth from the thought. "Fantastic, and pinning this on me is too easy because of you Katakuri-san. Why is it so easy to put it on us even though we have no part in it?" he grumbled.

"Ignore them Naegi. Gathering enough evidence and pointing out the alibis and any contradictions that'll come our way will clear your name. Don't let anyone make you falter from your stance. Even though what you did was against the rules, it is certainly not out of malice, so don't put yourself out," Kirigiri said.

Makoto nodded and let out a small smile. "Yeah, you're right." He looked around the room and found no more evidence and let out a sigh. "Well, I guess that's everything that we found that'll be useful for us for the trial. I have no doubt that there is more evidence outside on the floor."

Kirigiri folded her arms. "It would appear so. While this room is trashed, it wasn't too unrecognizable for us to find anything that'll help us. If we leave this place, then we wouldn't be able to come back here unless we overlooked something," she said.

"Exactly, and we spent a good amount of time in this room. Searching in other locations and ask others of their alibi will boost our discovery of the perpetrator," Kibo added.

"If that's the case, then I will be searching around the other places on this floor to find more we can find that'll help us. I say we're finished with this room and whenever we felt like we missed something, we'll come back. We're going to need to get her body in a more suitable place, perhaps the infirmary. While it's not the morgue, it'll be more respectable for her to be in there than lying here in such a brutal and bloody fashion," Katakuri stated.

Makoto sighed as he agreed with his statement. "Yeah, we can do that at least. I'm coming with you though, if you like..."

"Any help is necessary that'll get us closer to solving this case," Katakuri said, making the luckster brightened up a bit before putting on a determined face as he stood beside the giant and walked to the door.

"Anyways, what would you two be doing?" Makoto asked as he stopped at the entrance with Katakuri already out of the door and standing in the hallway with Sakura and Asahina.

Kibo walked to the boy. "I'll be heading to the dining room to meet with the rest of our group to give out our account. I'll go and find Miss Enoshima to meet with the rest of us. I guess you let Miss Sakura and Asahina know of our next plan, Katakuri?"

Katakuri nodded. "Indeed, the two of them are going to the others in the dining hall and already giving out their credible alibis for the trial. After you people are finish with your alibis, find something or think anything that was out of the ordinary or find some evidence. There may be scattered across this floor."

"I'll be doing my own investigation and be trusting enough to find more evidence that'll help this case and cementing my alibi so I wouldn't be on the accusing end," Kyoko said as she pulled a strand of hair.

Makoto nodded at their objectives. "Well in that case, let's keep going, for Sayaka...ready Katakuri-san?"

The giant nodded. "Let's get to it." With that, the four went out of the wrecked room and gone to their separate ways, with Makoto and Katakuri finding more evidence, Kibo to find Junko to join with the rest of their group, and Kyoko going her own way to find more on the murder.

After everyone left the room to their own devices, they didn't noticed one last thing before they left. Behind the closed bathroom door, if they stayed a bit longer, they would've noticed Sayaka's motionless body let out a tiny, almost unnoticeable twitch.

* * *

 **Second Day**

 **First Floor**

 **Classroom**

 **4:45 a.m**

The door slowly creaked open, the light from the hallways lightening up the dark room a bit. The person scanned the empty classroom to find anything out of the ordinary. The only thing ordinary here is the optical camera mounted up the ceiling corner that make sure it has everything in sight. Letting out a silent sigh, the person walked into the classroom and silently shuts the door but not locking it, or else it will catch suspicion from any oncoming students. But this person was confident seeing how everyone was busy gathering information to find Sayaka's murderer until the trial commences.

The person did a last take to make sure the coast was clear until they reached into their pocket and pulled out a long piece of cloth. The cloth was worn out, not in a way that was torn up, but in a way that it has been used.

Recently.

With a lot of strain and tension.

Luckily, this person was able to get the cloth without anyone paying attention. It was lying in the dorm room among the mess, and thankfully, everyone overlooked it and that gave the person a good enough window to grab the piece of cloth and hide it in their pocket before the students were beginning a thorough search. Gritting their teeth, the person could not believe that Sayaka had used their piece to defend herself, most likely as a last ditch effort before she was stabbed. That explains the strained appearance. If anyone would've seen it, especially Katakuri, they'll pin it on them and they will have no alibi to defend themselves.

The person knows the perfect way to dispose this piece of cloth. This person was planning on throwing it into the incinerator and let the flames engulf it. That'll for sure seals their alibi. The person was about to walk out of the classroom and get the deed done until they hear footsteps approaching from the distance along with indistinct voices. The person's eyes widened in shock as they were completely zoned out from finding a way to get rid of this important piece of evidence.

But the person's alerted state slowly turned to one of dread when they hear a distinctive clinking sound of spurs and a luckster's annoying voice.

Searching for a place to hide, the person searched for the darkest spot of the classroom and found nothing. The person was running out of options, and they're running out of time when they hear Makoto and Katakuri approaching the door with their voices becoming more clear. Looking down at the accursed piece, the person gritted their teeth to the point of breaking as they hear the doorknob rattling from one of them opening to door.

The door opened and Makoto and Katakuri emerged with the giant opening the door. "So you think the killer would be in a place like this during the crime?" Makoto asked.

Katakuri nodded. "Yes, no doubt. If the killer did the deed, they would've most likely be in a secluded location like this to plan their way to hide the evidence and make themselves look like nothing has happened to them. And what any other notable secluded locations to ponder what to do would be one of the classrooms?"

The two walked into the dimmed room scanning the area for any sign of entrance. Makoto looked under the desks while Katakuri scanned the darkest spots of the room.

"Well, whoever entered here is gone now. I guess they got spooked and ran off before we even reached to them," Makoto said as he finished looking under the desks and behind the teacher's desk.

The crimsonhead let out a low hum. He narrowed his eyes to peer through the blackness of the room before he turned back to the entrance. "Could be. Let's go to the others and find more if we can. This was a waste of time."

The luckster nodded and the two walked out of the room, but Katakuri stopped as he looked at the room with a fierce glare. He's no fool, he know someone is here. Whoever it is, they must be really good at hiding since nobody would even know they're here. This person must've had some special training to learn to use the shadows and the most difficult spots in a room to their advantage from onlookers.

Not wanting Naegi to worry, the giant let out a 'hmph' before he closed to door and walked off. The two walked back to the others and continued their conversation until their voices and footsteps are no longer audible.

Letting out a very needed breath of relief, the person dropped from the ceiling corner and landed without making noise that'll attract them back. Wiping the sweat from their forehead, the person shook their head and removed the piece from their pocket. The person silently cursed as they waited that the coast is clear and that no one else is approaching their way. They waited for a good five minutes until they're confident enough that it is clear for them to walk without any notice.

That's it.

The incinerator is a no-go. Not only would any debris from the incinerator would scatter, but the use of it will definitely leave some heat that'll tell the others that someone had used it earlier after the murder. And they certainly don't want the likes of Kirigiri, Byakuya, or Maki to snoop around and find out who.

Especially that naive luckster and his freakish friend. Definitely don't want _him_ to find out.

Taking a look at the polka dot cloth, the person stashed it in their pocket for the last time until they peered through the window to find any students bypassing them. With the coast clear, the person creaked the door open and closed it. Taking another deep breath, the person straightened her blonde hair and wiped the sweat from her face to avoid it smearing her make-up coated face.

After she tell her fellow students she'll find another way to 'gather evidence', she needs a talk with Monokuma.

A nice, long talk with Monokuma.

 _End of chapter_

* * *

 _ **AN: Well, we are getting some juice up in here? Normally I would post an April Fool's chapter but because of what's going on, I decided to give you an early Easter gift by giving you two chapters at the same time! Hope these two felt real and genuine. Don't worry, not every chapter is going to be intense or tension-filled just for some attention, there will be some free roaming time and character development, but let's get through the investigation first, shall we?**_

 _ **Now, why would Asahina be apprehensive of telling the others of her activities before Sayaka's murder? Who was the one who was hiding from Makoto and Katakuri in the classroom, why is Byakuya being a douche, and is there more to the murder that Katakuri is implying than what is seems to the regular eye? Find out more on**_ **The Ultimate Big Brother!**

 _ **Further more, here's the list of the groups in case for those who lost track:**_

 **Makoto's group: Makoto, Sayaka*, Junko, Kibo, Asahina, and Sakura  
**

 **Sonia's group: Sonia, Angie, Hagakure, Gundham, Kazuichi, Leon, and Ibuki**

 **Ishimaru's group: Ishimaru, Mondo, Akane, Nekomaru, Fuyuhiko, Pekoyama, and Gonta**

 **Kaede's group: Kaede, Shuichi, Kaito, Tsumugi, Hifumi, Tenko, Himiko, Nagito, and Rantaro**

 **Hajime's group: Hajime, Chiaki, Mikan, Mahiru, Miu, Chihiro, and Kirigiri**

 **Twogami's group: Twogami, Teruteru, Celestia, Kirumi, Korekiyo, Kokichi, Toko, and Hiyoko**

 **non-group: Byakuya, Ryoma, Maki, and Katakuri**

 **Beta-reader**

 **King Carlos  
Shadow of Life  
Brainstorming partner: ZGMF-X13A Providence**


End file.
